Little Bit of Truth
by angstylullaby
Summary: She had to be strong for her. Somehow, she had to be her haven. But which consequences would that bring? Spoby x Spemily triangle.
1. Achilles' heel

**This is my first Pretty Little Liars fanfic (not my first fanfic ever, I used to have another account in this website, but I'm not going to share its username here, since I think my old fics are too lame) and of course it had to be Spemily. They're just so perfect, it's a shame they're not cannon.**

**Anyway, hope you guys enjoy the fic.**

**I do not own Pretty Little Liars.**

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**Little Bit of Truth**

**Chapter 1: Achilles' heel**

Temperature constantly decreased in the small town of Rosewood, Pennsylvania. The wind blew in a scandalizing speed and the water drops hit everything at reach with no mercy. The fog provided every inch of the town's graveyard a ghostly environment. Having that considered, one would think that would be the last place in which a sane person would be wandering, especially since it was almost night time and it was starting to get dark.

Except running within the rain was a skinny girl. Her boots collided with the grass with loud thuds as her hurried steps grew faster. Her breathing, normally timed like a chronometer, was as heavy as a wall of concrete. Her brown hair, usually perfectly brushed was now soaking wet and glued to her face. Her hazel eyes were wide in terror.

After what seemed an eternity, she finally reached the place she was so desperately looking for. Panting, she took a glance around and spotted the reason of her presence in such a morbid place. Another girl, taller than herself, was standing with her back to her, studying a particular grave. She was wearing a wine-colored hoodie, with the hood pulled up, and her grey converse shoes were dipped in a mix of mud and loose grass.

Extreme worry stabbed the brown haired's gut and she grabbed her dark-blue blazer's collar, practically digging her nails into the fabric, in order to stop herself from screaming.

"Emily." She managed to breathe out. It was a strangled sound, however, it did not go unnoticed, for the other girl turned her head and the almond brown eyes of Emily Fields met Spencer Hastings' hazel ones.

"Are you out of your mind?! What were you thinking when you _so cleverly_ decided to come here in this horrendous weather?!" Spencer exclaimed, letting her concern get the best of her. Emily remained mute as she lowered her head, turning her stare to the ground, and hugged her own torso in an unconscious self-protective manner. Spencer instantly sensed her best friend's vulnerability and mentally punched herself for being so invasive. She would never admit it out loud, though, since it seemed to her that there was no other way to talk sense into Emily's currently troubled mind.

"Em…" she called, this time in a gentler tone. The swimmer stirred before looking up. "Let's go home. We can't stay here, it's practically begging to get sick."

"You go. I don't care." Emily let out sharply. "I don't care if I get sick. I don't care about me. Not anymore."

"Em, please…" Spencer pleaded, hesitantly walking towards the brunette until she was merely two steps away from her. "Don't do this to yourself. It's been a while, I figured-"

"I was over it?!" Emily spat, incredulous, and her beautiful face twisted in anger. Spencer flinched and looked away as Emily stuck her clenched fists into her hoodie's pocket. She knew it was a Hastings thing to define a term for everything, but realizing even grief was included in that category got her on the verge of exploding.

Some time passed and neither of them spoke again. In that very rare moment, Spencer, who was frequently taunted by Hanna for being a 'walking dictionary', due to her massive mental list of SAT words, had no idea of what to say. It was something that only Emily was able to accomplish – leaving her speechless, feeling like a curious and naïve little girl – not even Toby had such an ability.

Apparently words weren't at all what the Filipino girl needed to ease her emotional state. She should have thought of that the second she arrived at the graveyard and jumped off her car to look for her.

The wind blew with a tremendous intensity, making both girls shudder, and Spencer took it as a chance to scoot closer and carefully embrace her agonizing friend in a hug, wrapping one arm around her waist and the other around her shoulder. Emily froze at first, but quickly relaxed and buried her head on the crook of Spencer's neck, returning the hug. A feeling of safety – so unfamiliar ever since 'A' started haunting the group of liars – took over her and she snuggled even closer against the shorter girl, taking a second to breathe in her scent, wishing she could record it in her mind forever.

A strange feeling burned in her gut and was followed by a wave of guilt. She choked on the tears that were struggling to fall. She suddenly wanted to get away from Spencer's grip, but, at the same time, she feared it would kill her if she did. Spencer did not fail to notice the mood change and started to caress Emily's back to soothe her.

"Hey, now…it's ok, Em. It's just me." She said sweetly.

"Spence?"

"Yes?"

"I miss _her_."

With that, a loud sob emitted from Emily and she gripped Spencer's blazer, holding onto dear life.

Life.

She hadn't felt alive in months.

Spencer gulped, sensing she was about to cry as well. She couldn't. If she allowed herself to break down it would only do Emily more damage. She had to be strong for her. Somehow, she had to be her haven. Therefore, instead of giving in to her own sadness, she chose to breathe in and softly kiss the other girl's cheek.

"I know. I know." She whispered. "But I'm here. I'm here for you."

They remained that way, tangled under the rain, ignoring everything around them, until Spencer's phone beeped. She delicately parted the hug – which earned her a look from Emily that resembled the one of a child who had their favorite plushie stolen from them – and grabbed it, frowning in anticipation, but soon enough her expression changed to a relieved one as it turned out it was a text from Hanna.

**Have you found her? Is she ok? –H**

**Yes, I have. She's not ok, though…emotionally. –S**

**Bring her here, like, now. –H**

Spencer stared at the screen for a moment after that last text, wondering if taking Emily to the Marin's residence would be a good idea. Hanna obviously was welling up with worry, considering she had been stuck with her father and step-sister the entire afternoon of that day, in his eventually unsuccessful attempt of making them bond – that included taking away both of the teens' phones – which disabled her from helping when Spencer found out by a desperate call from Pam Fields that Emily had disappeared after school. In no time, Spencer had met Pam and Aria and the three of them went separate ways through town to try and find Emily. Needless to say, the young genius found her first.

Spencer sighed, deciding that too many people around would probably make Emily shut everyone out. With her mind made up, she finally answered Hanna's text.

**I'm taking her to my place. Don't argue. She needs to be alone. –S**

She then texted Aria and explained the situation to her. There was a bit of reluctance from her, but since Spencer stuck to her point of view and showed that she would not back off, she ended up agreeing and was asked to call Pam; after all, texting wouldn't be appropriate to convince her that her lost child needed to be away from everyone, including her mother.

Emily stayed still the whole time, simply watching her work on getting her safe. She observed intently the way her brow furrowed from deep concentration. At one point, she actually imagined little engines moving in her forehead and smoke venting from her ears through her curly brown hair; she would have probably found it amusing, had it not been for the subtle numbness that was starting to creep from deep inside of her.

"We should leave now." Spencer's voice echoed, piercing through her brief trance. It was a statement, not a request. Emily nodded weakly, which was enough for Spencer to wrap an arm around her shoulder to lead her away from the dreadfulness of where they were, but not before taking one last glance at the grave that had initially been Emily's main focus that day and the phrase carved into its stone.

_ 'Maya St. Germain, loving daughter and friend.'_

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The Hastings' mansion was desert when Spencer and Emily arrived after a 10-minute drive. Spencer, for once, was thankful for having an absent family, it meant she'd be able to deal with Emily without anyone bothering them.

She parked her car in the driveway and breathed in before glancing at her side. Emily was curled up in the passenger seat, hugging herself and staring blankly out the window. The sight made Spencer's heart sink. Her best friend – the nicest one of the group, the girl who would flash a smile brighter than the sun and who would leave everyone in awe because or her caring attitude – was turning into a shell in front of her. She wanted nothing but to find a way to make her truly feel better, but things were getting worse at each second and she feared she would fail to save her.

No, she couldn't think like that.

She squeezed her eyes shut for a moment and her knuckles went white as she gripped the steering wheel, fighting to maintain control. Being a Hastings, she was raised to put her rational side above any sort of strong emotion. Therefore, letting her feelings take over made her feel incredibly vulnerable and, most of the time, she despised it. She just hadn't managed to perfect the blocking of them, especially when it came to people she cared for. Mainly Emily. Every single time the swimmer was put through a harsh situation there was Spencer to help her, wishing to take her pain into herself, doing the impossible to protect her. Emily was, somehow, her Achilles' heel.

But what exactly did that mean?

Her eyes flickered open at the thought and she gritted her teeth before unbuckling her seatbelt and getting out of the car. She walked towards the opposite side of the car and opened the door for Emily, who snapped out of her own thoughts and got out as well. They entered the house silently and went directly to Spencer's room.

"I'll get you some dry clothes while you shower." The brown-haired said hoarsely, implicitly telling her friend that not doing as she said was not an option. Emily half-smiled at Spencer's characteristic manners and went into the bathroom. That small gesture brought relief to the shorter girl. She was still there. Emily was still there.

About fifteen minutes went by before the brunette showed up again, wearing only a towel around her figure. Her hair was still wet, but the feeling of being clean had painted a more relaxed expression on her features.

"Here." Spencer handed her an oversized grey T-Shirt and a pair of black shorts, both cotton-made. "These should be comfortable enough."

"Thanks, Spence." The brunette received the clothes, for the first time in that day sending Spencer a full, true smile. She got dressed while it was Spencer's turn to shower and, a few minutes later, as she was lying in the bed, simply staring at the ceiling, Spencer showed up wearing what she recognized as Toby's blue long-sleeved shirt – the one he would never get back.

For an unknown reason to her, Emily, she couldn't stop her eyes from scanning Spencer's form. The strange feeling in her gut that had made her uncomfortable earlier appeared once more, this time accompanied by a light sting to the chest.

"Emily…?" Spencer raised an eyebrow, noticing the odd way the other girl was acting. "Are you all right?"

"Huh?" Emily blinked, realizing that she had stared for too long, and blushed. "Yeah…I'm fine."

"One thing…" Spencer said, serious. "Don't ever do that again."

"What, look at you?" Emily chuckled nervously.

"No! I mean what happened earlier." Spencer explained. She bit her lip and went on. "You scared the hell out of me. Please promise me that won't become a seamless habit."

"I can't just promise something like that." Emily stated. Spencer frowned and crossed her arms on her chest.

"Em…"

"Fine, I promise." The Filipino girl rolled her eyes. "But it's not like I have complete control of my nervous breakdowns."

"Well, then, do bother to call me if you sense you'll have another one." Spencer replied sincerely then sat by her side on the bed and their eyes connected. Emily smiled, this time a weaker smile, before reaching for her friend's hand and giving it a light squeeze.

"I…don't know why I did that." A new nervous chuckle echoed from her. Spencer glanced at their intertwined hands. The thought of how they fit perfectly popped up in her mind and she cleared her throat before looking back at Emily.

"It's ok. It's…nice."

Achilles' heel, indeed.

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**I'd love to know what you think. Reviews are welcomed!**

**~angstylullaby**


	2. Noughts and crosses

**Hey, guys. It took me a while, but I've finally got to write chapter 2. Enjoy!**

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**Chapter 2: Noughts and crosses**

_Darkness. There was only darkness. And it was cold. It was so goddamn cold. _

_Emily sighed as she ran both hands through her raven hair and the steam from her breath could be visible. Then, little by little, other things came to sight. Book shelves – lots of them – were surrounding her. She was in a library; more specifically, Rosewood High's library._

_She took a glance around, feeling curious. It appeared to be empty. A few seconds later, however, the sound of a low giggle told her it wasn't. Something made her follow it – perhaps the fact it was terribly familiar – and she walked quickly through the shelves with eagerness running through her veins._

_Then her suspicion was confirmed._

_Standing next to a spot she knew by heart was Alison, holding a book in her delicate hands. Emily froze as she noticed the title: 'Great Expectations'. The blonde looked up and sent her a small smirk, while her piercing blue eyes analyzed her in a way Emily had never seen before. – Not in search of an opportunity to play her, but with actual care emitting from her features._

_"Ali." Emily let out in a whisper. The older girl made a motion to speak, but then suddenly the lights went out, a loud scream echoed in the library and she vanished. Before there could be any sort of reaction from the swimmer, the environment shifted and she found herself sitting at the Rosewood Movie Theater._

_"Shit." She mumbled, shocked, as the silver screen flashed and the movie 'I Walked With a Zombie' started. Scared, she tried to stand up and move away from the seat, but, strangely, she was unable to. The sound of someone clearing their throat reached her ears and she turned her head to her left. Her eyes widened at the sight of Maya sitting next to her, wearing a mix of worry and compassion on her face._

_"Maya…how…?" Emily intended to ask her what was happening. She had to know something. She just had. Otherwise their story wouldn't have ended the way it did. "Please, say something." Maya stayed silent, simply staring back at her with sorry eyes. The Filipino girl reached for her hand, which was interrupted by a terrifying screech from the theater's speakers. The dim light of the room faded and once again there was a soul-chilling scream as Maya disappeared. Emily was no longer at the movie theater, instead, she realized, she was standing inside the town's church. Sensing something was awfully odd, she walked within it until she reached the stairs that led to the bell tower. A feeling of déjà vu overwhelmed her as she climbed them and she wondered if she had gone insane. Things weren't making sense at all._

_For her surprise, there was Spencer, standing near the edge. Emily approached her slowly and she sent her a heart-melting smile. There was something about her eyes that made the now so known weird feeling in Emily's gut appear once again. She might have been wrong, but she could swear that extreme longing was beaming from the lacrosse super star._

_"Spence, what are you doing here?" she asked, breathlessly, already fearing that something bad was about to happen. Spencer said nothing; she simply reached for her grey cardigan's pocket, pulled out a small folded piece of paper and handed it to Emily. The brunette grabbed it and opened it. It said 'It's not your fault.'_

_"'It's not your fault'…" she read out loud, furrowing her brow. "What does this mean?"_

_Spencer smiled once again. This time it was a shy, weak smile. Foreign footsteps echoed behind Emily and, as she turned her head to see who it was, a black-hooded figure ran by her and charged towards her best friend, pushing her off the edge. _

"SPENCER!"

Emily's eyes flickered open and she rose rapidly from the bed, sweaty and shaking. She immediately realized she was in Spencer's room, in Spencer's bed, and the shorter girl had instinctively grabbed her by the waist in order to calm her down.

"Em…Em! W-what's wrong?!" She asked, startled. Emily turned to her and grabbed her face with both hands, running them across her cheeks and her neck as to make sure she was real. Spencer held her breath as she did that, for it made her already racing heart pound achingly against her ribcage. Her inner reaction to Emily's touch confused her and she tried to ignore it, because she didn't want to deal with it at that moment, considering that her friend needed her help. However, a part of her suspected what the reason for it was and it scared her. She looked down, avoiding the brunette's eyes for a second, then pulled her closer into a hug.

"You're alive." Emily whispered, nudging her nose gently against her neck's skin. Spencer was unable to control the shiver it caused and she cleared her throat, feeling the hairs on the back of her neck stand up.

"Of course I am. A ghost's hug certainly wouldn't be as pleasant." She joked, trying to ease their nervousness. "Care to tell me what your nightmare was about?" Emily let go of Spencer and sighed.

"It started at the school library. I saw Ali." Spencer's right eyebrow rose at the mention of their murdered friend's name. "Then she vanished, there was screaming and it shifted to the movie theater. Maya was sitting by my side. There was a screech from the speakers and she disappeared with a scream as well. After all of that I ended up at the church. I walked towards the bell tower and there you were, smiling at me." Spencer tried to maintain a serious expression while she listened, but the alert state she was in made the look on her face seem disturbed, making Emily gulp before continuing. "You handed me a piece of paper that said 'It's not your fault' and a f-few seconds later 'A' s-showed up and pushed you off the edge." The brown haired girl's expression changed into an understanding one and she reached for Emily's arm, delicately squeezing it. She knew by now that the swimmer couldn't handle the thought of losing more people she cared for. And the fact that there was a new 'A' around watching their every move probably affected her more than any of the other liars, even more than herself. She might've been the one who was always desperately searching for answers – 'Jane Bond', as she was called – but, in a way, Emily appeared to be A's main target; and she admired how intensely she fought to prove to everyone that she wasn't the weakest link, despite the moments in which she lost it.

"Hey, it was just a nightmare. " Spencer tried to reassure her. Emily frowned.

"It's not like reality is better." She said, becoming serious. "Or did you forget everything that happened to us in the last couple of years?"

"You know what I meant." Spencer protested. "We're here, now. Bad things…horrible things have happened, but we can't just– "

"Don't you dare ask me not to focus on what might happen, we can't be this blind. " Emily felt that anger was staring to take over her and she got up from the bed and walked towards the window. She avoided looking at where Spencer was; she feared it would trigger an emotional explosion. "I really didn't expect something like that from you, weren't you Ms. Anticipate Everything?"

"Yes, I am. And that's why you should leave the anticipating to me." Spencer hissed. "All of this is killing you inside. The little 'I'm fine' charade you've been trying to put on since Maya's death hasn't fooled me, ever, and, if you haven't realized, Emily, I've been extremely worried about you." Her voice became shaky on those last words as a knot formed in her throat. She couldn't understand how the two of them had in that microscopic moment suddenly exchanged roles. Since when was she the emotional one? Since when was Emily the cold and methodical one?

Maybe what caused that was the connection they had. – The connection that was the strongest out of all of the liars'. – It could only make sense that one was able to make the opposite side of the other emerge. They were, after all, like noughts and crosses.

"Can we please just go back to sleep?" Emily asked, pretending to ignore Spencer's last statement. She wouldn't care to admit that it had stung, especially because of the mention of Maya's death. Spencer grabbed her cell phone to check the time: 4 am.

"Fine." She agreed reluctantly. She personally hated leaving things unsaid, but they were both tired and she figured it would do them no good to keep arguing through dawn. Emily walked back to the bed and sat by Spencer, still not looking at her. Silence took over the room and Spencer bit her lip, keeping her gaze on her while trying to decide whether it would be a good idea to try and hold her again.

"I'm sorry, Spence." Emily let out, finally turning her stare to her. She ran a finger across the bed sheets shyly and continued. "It's just…I'm afraid of losing you. You're my best friend. I don't know what I'd do if–" Her words were cut as Spencer launched her arms around her waist for the second time in that night and pulled her down into the bed. The brunette sighed and accommodated herself to the older girl's body, closing her eyes.

"You're not going to lose me, ok?" Spencer said as she caressed her hair. "No matter what happens."

"Promise?"

"Promise."

* * *

Saturday morning arrived and the four liars decided to meet at Hanna's house. Needless to say, the impatient blonde was dying to see how Emily was doing, since neither she nor Aria, who had slept over, had gotten any news about how she was after Spencer imposed that they weren't allowed to be at her house with them. She was pacing through the kitchen and checking her watch every five seconds. Aria, on the other hand, was calmly playing with her coffee's spoon as they waited for them to arrive. She knew that Spencer's way of dealing with what had happened might have been a bit radical. But it was Spencer, after all, and she understood that the only reason why she did what she did was the swimmer's well-being.

"You know, Han, they're not going to apparate here." The tiny artist stated mockingly. "You can sit and have breakfast with me."

"I won't eat until I see Emily." Hanna replied, rebellious. Aria smirked. It was incredible how in one hand, the 'it' girl was mostly concerned about looks and clothes, but when it came to her friends, her loyalty and care took over, showing that she was, in fact, the most honest of the group. "Spencer's gonna hear so much from me when they get here…"

"I can tell that you're pissed at her." Aria said, amused. "But try to understand: she was just being Spencer." The sound of a car parking nearby reached their ears and, after a few minutes, there was a knock on the front door.

Hanna hurried to open it, revealing a well-tempered Spencer, who was wearing dark-grey jeans, a white shirt and a black vest. Standing next to her was Emily, who was wearing a pair of dark-blue jeans, a stripped white t-shirt and, Hanna quickly noticed, Spencer's grey cardigan.

"Well, if it isn't Rosewood's royalty and the future Olympic swimmer." Hanna greeted them with a mix of amusement and resentment. "Come inside our simple household where we only wear pajamas."

"Good morning to you too, Han." Spencer replied, slightly surprised by the blonde's attitude. Hanna shrugged and moved to the side to allow them in and pulled Emily into a hug as they did so.

"Hey, Han." Emily greeted her, smiling as she returned the hug. Spencer walked to the kitchen and sat next to Aria; Emily and Hanna followed and sat across them.

"So…how are you, Em?" Aria asked, trying her best to be subtle, but her big green eyes revealed that her earlier calm had faded. Well, maybe she hadn't actually been calm, but at least she had managed to disguise it until then.

"Yeah, Em, how _are_ you?" Hanna too asked and sharpness filled her next words. "You see, I have no idea, since Braniac here sent no news since yesterday evening." She nodded towards Spencer, who frowned instantly.

"Don't you start." She warned, clenching her fists. Emily sensed the danger of a heated argument developing between her two protective friends and she grabbed Spencer's forearm to calm her before answering.

"I'm ok now, just had a rough day yesterday, that's all." She wasn't sure if that was entirely true, though. Her uneasiness due to 'A' and Maya was currently under control, but there was the issue with Spencer – if she could even call it that way – The nightmare she'd had the night before and their interaction afterwards had made her suspect that her feelings for the older girl were trespassing the friendship line.

"Are you sure? We were told you went crazy and ran to the town's graveyard after school." Hanna blurted out.

"Hanna!" Aria exclaimed disapprovingly. Spencer glared at the blonde.

"You have the subtleness of an elephant jumping out of an airplane." She stated, annoyed. Emily looked down, blushing and suddenly finding an interest in Spencer's arm, which she hadn't yet let go of. Hanna shifted uncomfortably in her seat, but not before noticing there was something off about the two girls. Aria looked nervously at all of them. Having gone through her parents' riot and their recent separation made her dread discussions like that, even though she hadn't shown it at the time, for the sake of her little brother.

"Guys…" She called. "Let's try to relax. The important thing is that Em's ok. If she doesn't feel like talking about what happened, then we shouldn't push her." Hanna sighed and Spencer nodded in agreement. Emily let go of Spencer's arm and got off her seat.

"I'm going to the bathroom…be right back." She mumbled before walking away. Spencer unconsciously followed her with her stare and the other girls exchanged confused looks. Hanna cleared her throat and the brown-haired looked back at them.

"You're acting weird." She pierced her with her blue eyes, as if trying to extract some sort of confession from her.

"This time I have to agree with her." Aria said. "Is something going on, Spence?"

"Why do I suddenly feel like I'm at an interrogatory?" Spencer asked, at the same time feeling bothered and nervous due to her friend's curiosity. "There's nothing going on." Hanna rolled her eyes.

"Oh, cut the crap and spill it." She said. "You were totally checking her out right now."

"Who, Emily?" Spencer asked, pretending not to know what she was talking about.

"No, Justin Bieber." Hanna replied sarcastically. "Yes, Emily."

"I was most definitely not!" Spencer protested. Both Hanna and Aria sent her a look that told her they didn't believe her.

"Yes, you were. Don't try to deny it, we saw you." Hanna responded cockily. "I thought Emily would be the first one to show signs that you guys are into eachother, but apparently I was wrong."

"Which reminds me: you now owe me five dollars." Aria stated, looking at the 'it' girl. Spencer's jaw fell and she stared at them wide-eyed.

"You guys made a bet?!" She exclaimed, incredulous. The two said nothing, looking extremely entertained by her reaction. "Objection. You had no right. By the way, Emily and I are _not_ into eachother."

"'Objection' she said." Hanna struggled to hold on her laughter. "Don't go all lawyer on me, Spence. Especially since you happen to be the witness." Aria sent her a funny look. "What? I sometimes watch Law & Order."

Before anything else could be said, Emily returned with a much calmer expression on her face.

"Hey, Spence, I think I forgot my phone in your car." She said.

"Right…" Spencer looked up at her. "I'll go get it with you." She stood up and Emily sent her a shy smile, which she immediately returned before following her outside. The other girls watched as the door closed, Hanna with a huge smirk.

"They are so into eachother it hurts to watch."

* * *

"Here it is." Spencer said as she grabbed Emily's phone from under the passenger's seat and handed it to her.

"Thanks." She received it with a smile, but it soon fell off when she saw there was an unread message from a blocked ID.

**Looks like someone's crushing on a friend again. I wonder how it could go wrong. –A**

"Emily…? Is it 'A'?" Spencer approached her with concerned eyes. Emily took a breath before forcefully changing her disturbed expression into another shy smile.

"No…It's just my mom asking how I am." She lied. Deep down, she knew that yet another trial had started for the liars. Having feelings for Spencer was equal to an opportunity for 'A' to divide and conquer. And who knows what he/she/it would do to achieve that.

This time shit was serious.

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**I'm not sure if I'm completely happy with this chapter, but, well. Please review!**

**~angstylullaby**


	3. The first punch

**Hey, guys. I'm really sorry for taking such a long time to get back on updating this fic, it's been crazy with all of the 'trying to get into college' thing. And guess what? I did. So now I'm on vacation and have enough time to continue writing. I probably need more inspiration, which explains the short size of this chapter, but I think it's kinda good. I think. Enjoy!**

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**Chapter three: The first punch**

Three days went by and no more texts from 'A' arrived for Emily. The Filipino girl couldn't help but to feel extremely suspicious due to that. It meant they were waiting for the right time – which would be whenever she displayed a moment of weakness – to strike. Her anxiousness caused her to constantly look over her shoulder and get startled every time a loud noise echoed out of nowhere at school or at any other place she was. Needless to say, the rest of the liars quickly took notice of her sudden paranoia and started wondering whether she was keeping something from them. It was all too strange, especially when she suddenly shifted from immensely alert to completely alienated, when she started drowning in her thoughts.

"Uh… Em?" Aria hopelessly tried to catch her attention for what was probably the fifth time during lunch on that dull Tuesday. The swimmer had been distractedly playing with her food with apparently no will to eat and her gaze was fixated to the surface of their table. "Emily!"

"Oh, for God's sake!" Hanna exclaimed before poking her friend's ribcage, not caring to measure the amount of strength she was using.

"Ouch!" Emily protested, frowning at the blonde. "What was that for?!"

"Can you tell us what's going on already?" Hanna pleaded, a bit annoyed. "There's been, like, this off energy coming from you since Saturday." Emily sighed.

"I can't."

"But…"

"I just can't, Hanna!" The brunette hissed, standing up from the table. "Please, don't do this. Don't question me. I've got too much on my mind."

"Haven't you thought that maybe we could help?" Aria stated. "We're your friends, Em, that's what we're here for."

"I know…" Emily sighed again, the expression on her face softened for a second, but she soon shook her head and the coldness returned. "But I've got to figure this out alone… before I put more people in danger."

"In danger…?!" The petite girl looked startled by that last sentence. "What do you mean with danger?!" Before Emily could answer, Spencer approached the group holding her own tray of food.

"Hello, ladies… " She purred with her usual Hastings cockiness. "What are we discussing today?"

"Nothing, I was just leaving." Emily spat. Spencer sent her a look of confusion – one of the many she had sent her since the beginning of that week.

"I was wondering if-"

"No."

"But, Em…"

"You stay away from me!" With that, the brunette stormed out of the cafeteria. Spencer sat down beside Aria and grabbed her forehead with both hands as she let out a groan of pure frustration. She just couldn't process the fact that her best friend, who had been closer to her than they used to be only a few days before, was now avoiding her like the plague. There was no doubt that the Filipino girl was hiding something and, whatever it was, it was slowly ripping the group apart. They couldn't be like that any longer, not with 'A' watching their every move.

"Tell me, what did I do wrong?" The brown haired asked in a hoarse voice, trying her hardest to avoid tears from rolling down her face. Hanna bit her lip and gently caressed the other girl's shoulder.

"You did nothing wrong, Spence. " She replied. "I don't know what's going on between you two or what's going through Emily's mind… but you guys have to solve it. Quick."

"And how am I supposed to do that? She won't even speak to me properly." Spencer said and her face twisted into a hysterical expression. That was the second in which Aria's face lit up in realization.

"Spence… I don't really know if I should say this… but doesn't this situation remind you of when you shut Toby out to keep him safe?" She suggested, feeling a bit hesitant, after all, she could be wrong. Even though the signs that Emily had been sending told her exactly the opposite. Spencer's hazel eyes locked with her green ones and her mouth fell open.

"Are you saying that…?" she started.

"I think she has feelings for you." Aria completed. "I mean… Hanna and I joke a lot about that possibility. But, especially now, I really think she does. And maybe 'A' has threatened her for it. I really don't see another reason for her current behavior. She wouldn't push you away for nothing, she adores you." The lacrosse super star breathed in deep, looking thoughtful. Aria's last words got her more confused, if that was even possible.

"So, since we're talking about that, I must ask… what about you, how do _you_ feel?" Aria questioned. Spencer raised an eyebrow, as if trying to show her friend that the answer was obvious.

"Aria, I've got Toby."

"That's true…" The short girl nodded calmly; then stared at her friend intensely. "But how do you _feel_?"

* * *

The girls locker room was a big, silent and empty space when it was not crowded by Rosewood High's swimming team. Emily found herself sat on one of its corners; she simply needed a few minutes of peace, away from all of the problems that had been driving her mad and that had been drifting her from her friends. She needed to organize her mind before she had another nervous breakdown and ended up in Spencer's arms once more.

Spencer. Always Spencer. Couldn't she think of anything else?

No. Unfortunately, she couldn't.

She rested her head on her knees and closed her eyes shut, feeling a familiar agony take over her. If she didn't find a way to get over the brown haired athlete, she would end up losing her and the other girls. And that was something she just couldn't afford.

Sobs left her throat before she could realize it and warm tears streamed down her cheeks. It was unbelievable to her the level of ability she had to ruin things. How much longer would she have to keep Spencer away from her? She had no idea. She only knew that shutting her out was killing her.

The swimmer was so focused on her thoughts that she didn't hear the sound of steps that echoed through the locker room.

"Emily..?" a husky voice called. The brunette lifted her head and her heart nearly exploded.

"Spencer." She said weakly and wiped the tears off of her face; any toughness she had showed earlier was now gone. "I can't deal with this right now." The older girl kneeled in front of her and grabbed both of her hands, which made her gulp.

"But you have to." Spencer said, serious. "_We_ have to."

"Really? And what exactly do you want me to say?!" Emily tired to protest, but it came out as a plea.

"Whatever you need to say." Spencer said, comprehensively. Emily's wide eyes softened and she took a hesitating breath before feeling safe enough to let out her next statement.

"You…make me feel things." She looked down, blushing.

"I make you feel things." Spencer repeated with a mix of nervousness and amusement. She couldn't help but to smile at her friend's current massive shyness.

"Yes."

"And what kind of things would those be?" It was a risky moment, obviously. Despite the fact she was almost certain of the answer, somehow Spencer still feared it and what it could mean. Emily remained silent for a while before staring back at her.

"Do you really want to know?" she asked. Her brown eyes had never been darker than at that second. They pierced through Spencer's hazel ones, causing a shiver to run down her spine. She bit her lip and nodded. That was when Emily got on her knees, facing her. Spencer froze. Their breathing was heavy. Their noses were touching. A split of second later, the small distance that separated their lips was nonexistent. Soon enough, Spencer's hands reached for Emily's waist, increasing the closeness of their bodies with a groan as the other girl pulled at her hair. They had no idea of who had kissed first, but at that point that didn't matter. All they knew was that it felt incredibly right.

And yet, it didn't.

"Em, wait." Spencer let out in a muffled voice before gently grabbing the brunette's shoulders in order to stop what they were doing. Emily frowned, already anticipating what was about to happen. "We…"

"…can't, I know." Her voice tone emanated both guilt and disappointment. Spencer sighed and gave her hand a light squeeze.

"I'm sorry." She whispered. "I wish I could, but it's not that simple. I can't hurt-"

"Toby." Emily was now completely taken over by guilt. She hadn't once considered how the young carpenter's heart could get shattered because of what was happening. Because of her selfishness. "I-I understand, Spence…he is also my best friend."

"I just…need some time to think, ok?" Spencer smiled at her. However, her sad eyes made her expression easy to unmask. Emily nodded and proceeded to avoid looking directly at her. She couldn't avoid feeling hurt by all of that confusion. Noticing that, Spencer softly kissed her forehead to try and reassure her before getting up and offering her help to do the same.

"Come on…let's get out of here."

As they walked out of the locker room, Spencer's cell phone beeped. They both stopped on their tracks, startled, and Spencer felt her stomach twist as she read the text message.

**I see you. -A **

* * *

**Please review! I will very much appreciate it.**

**~angstylullaby**


	4. A fool's dance

**Hey, guys. My inspiration is finally back, so I'm way happier with this chapter than the other one. I hope you enjoy it!**

* * *

**Chapter four: A fool's dance**

It had been about a week and a half since Emily and Spencer's encounter in the girls locker room. Needless to say, the message they received from 'A' right afterwards was enough of an influence in Spencer's thoughts to stop her from sleeping at night; and, in the last couple of days, she had been feeling exhausted and tense for the majority of the time. Even her studies were affected; she hadn't been able to concentrate in anything but her now confused feelings for her swimmer best friend and the soul-tearing guilt from what she was doing to the sweet and loving Toby Cavanaugh.

But she wasn't really _doing_, anything, was she? The kiss with Emily was a one-time thing. Nothing but a moment she had with her. Like she had years before with Ian. And Wren. And Alex. And…Toby himself.

"Gosh…" she sighed, rubbing her own temples after closing the history book that lay on her room's desk in front of her with a loud thud. "Maybe Ali was right…maybe I _am_ a skank."

"Why would you say that about yourself?" A soft voice echoed from the door and Spencer turned around instantly, seeing a pair of green eyes that unmistakably belonged to Aria Montgomery.

"Gee, Aria, you startled me." Spencer exclaimed.

"Your mom let me in." Aria stated with an apologetic look on her face. "I came because I wanted to check on you. I barely see you at school anymore. You're always rushed. We've been worried."

Spencer made a motion to speak, but changed her mind at the last second; she looked down, wondering if her brain had finally succumbed to all of her stress and if that was the explanation to her unusual lack of vocabulary.

"Emily's a wreck, you know." Aria said, serious. She could feel the tiny girl's stare piercing through her. The disapproval in her tone was almost touchable. "She hasn't been herself since she last saw you and it took her all this time to let what was bothering her out. Last night she called me in tears and told me what happened."

The smart girl wrapped her arms around her own torso, sighing as she felt the lassitude of her shame hit her. True, she had been avoiding spending time with her friends, especially with Emily. The swimmer had shown evasiveness first – before the irresponsible kissing – but she couldn't dare to use that as a defense; it would be very cynical of her, considering that Emily's had lasted less and had been directed only to her in a quintessential worry of Spencer's well-being. Spencer's, on the other hand, as Aria did not fail to point out, came around as crude and selfish indifference. Her intentions of doing what she thought was right had apparently not turned out the ideal way. She needed to sort things out in her head and heart before the indefinite nature of her feelings resulted in a cataclysm.

"I messed up." She let out, finally, in a nearly inaudible whisper as she stared back at her artistic friend.

"Big time." Aria agreed with no hesitation.

* * *

Emily wasn't sure of what had motivated her to grab her cell phone and make that call. She had planned absolutely nothing of what she would say, that is, if she ever dared to speak up. Internally, she was completely lost. A rhapsodic being among the automatic routine followers that surrounded her at the familiar coffee shop that was her place of work. At that moment, though, she sat at one of the tables with a cup in her hands, trying her best to enjoy the latte contained in it. Her hands were trembling. She craved for reassurance. She ached for warmth and care. She longed for soft cinnamon locks and protective hazel eyes. However, given the circumstances, which were far from an epitome, she would have to settle for short chestnut spikes and piercing blue eyes that day.

"Emily." Toby's deep and gentle voice reached the brunette's ears and she woke from her nervous trance, glancing at him quickly as she managed to murmur a 'hi'. He sat across her at the table and offered her an encouraging smile. When that action was noticed to have no effect, he furrowed his brow and tilted his head to the side in worry. He had known due to Emily's uneasiness during the phone call that there was something troubling her, but he had no idea of the gravity of the situation until that point. "What happened?"

"Uh…" The swimmer gulped and gripped her cup tighter in her hand, fighting the sudden urge to simply get up and flee. Toby reached for her arm and placed his hand on it carefully; patiently waiting for her to be calm enough to answer. She shut her eyes for a second and breathed in before speaking. "It's Spencer. Things have been…weird…between us."

'Weird' wasn't even near of an appropriate word to describe how things seemed to Emily, but she didn't wish for her outflow to sound too alarming. Toby nodded comprehensively.

"Did you guys have a fight?" He asked.

"Yeah…well, not really." Emily sighed nervously. "It's just that…We said things we shouldn't have to each other and now everything's kind of screwed up." It wasn't a complete lie. She indeed felt she shouldn't have confessed what she felt to Spencer and a part of her wished that Spencer hadn't reciprocated in any way. If so, she wouldn't have felt pressured to omit what in fact had happened from the second person that she trusted the most.

"I had the intuition that something like that was going on. Her energy has been screaming 'unbalance' lately." He stated. "Well, in the days she actually bothers to see me." His lips curved down briefly in grimace and Emily realized that he was also currently being kept out of the intellectual beauty's personal bubble. That, obviously, only made her guilt increase to the size of an enormous and grotesque almond-eyed monster; said monster with the word 'homewrecker' written all over it.

In no possible way could she hate herself more.

"But it's not that surprising, really." He continued while discretely tapping his free hand's fingers against the table. "It seems to me that every time you fight she ends up shutting out everything around her. The effect you have on her is something I am yet to understand."

"Toby…"

"Hey, don't worry. It's not your fault." He smiled sweetly for the second time in that afternoon. "Once you guys work it out she'll be herself again. And then we'll all be able to reach her." Emily didn't speak, instead, she nodded shyly in response, fearing that anything she tried to say from then on would make her reveal the truth; and, as much as her carpenter best friend deserved to know it, the confession wasn't entirely up to her.

So she decided to pretend and feed her self-loathing until the moment arrived.

* * *

**Please review. I feel more motivated to write when I get to know what you think!**

**~angstylullaby**


	5. A fool's dance 2

**Chapter five is here. Enjoy, my lovely readers.**

* * *

**Chapter five: A fool's dance 2**

"Em, you should talk to her, stop this nonsense." The quirky voice of Hanna Marin reached Emily's ears as she tried to resolve a particularly difficult Math question. Normally, she would be in Spencer's room and the brunette would have casually given her all the right answers to her homework. The world wasn't a perfect place, though, and she currently was unable of being near her usual study partner. Hanna, always so caring, had offered her house and company that Wednesday after school. But, as good as her intentions were, the 'it' girl wasn't much of a help regarding Math; or any intellectual activity whatsoever. Not that Emily was much of an enthusiastic either. "You can't be stuck with my sucky studying partnership forever."

"It's not sucky…" Emily tried to argue; Hanna sent her a look of disbelief.

"Don't lie to me, Fields; I know you'd rather have Jane Bond help you." She said; her grey blue eyes locked on the swimmer's brown ones, searching for her friend's sincerity. "You guys make a better match in that. In anything, actually." Emily frowned at the statement.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean she's your person. And you're hers. It's obvious to the entire world, except for you two dum-dums. Honestly speaking, I thought at least Spencer would get that. She has disappointed me and her IQ." The blonde threw her hands in the air as if saying 'I'm so done'. "So, please…like I said before, just talk to her and stop this she-said-she-said-then-she-avoided-her-forever nonsense."

"Since when are you so concerned about Spencer and me? I thought that her being with Toby thrilled you and your fangirling nature." Emily asked bitterly while she shut her book close, finally giving up on the irritating equations.

"Of course it did, the boy is hotter than the sun." Hanna said, instantly amused as Emily glared at her. "Don't tell Caleb I said that."

"Hm."

"Anyway, what I was trying to say." She continued, sending an apologetic look at the brunette. "Is that Toby might be great for her, and, well, you two are alike in a lot of ways…but somehow the connection _you _have with her is stronger. It's something I had never seen between two people before, and it's definitely something _very_ hard to find. It would be a waste to throw it away."

"You really think so?" Emily turned to look at her bubbly friend, - Hanna obviously wasn't the best at any methodical school work, but, in contrast, she seemed to master emotional intelligence when it came to situations that involved people that were important to her - who sent her a smile full of sweetness.

"I _know_ so."

The blonde's reassurement definitely managed to make Emily feel better. For that moment. Her previous experiences with love were an evidence that things wouldn't simply become easier. There was always a price to pay when she cared too much for someone.

She just hoped that, this time, it didn't cost a life.

* * *

It was past 2 am and Emily groaned – trying her best not to let out a frustrated screech - pulling the covers closer to her body as she shifted on her bed. Sleeping that night had proved to be an impossible aspiration; there was simply too much going on in her mind. Trying to put all of it on hold had probably been a bad decision. Part of her - a huge part of her - regretted the silence that had dominated her capability of speech as her best male friend commented on his girlfriend's currently odd behavior. Perhaps she should have attempted to spill out the truth, because it seemed that the whole situation with Spencer was starting to turn into a massive snowball of lies that was soon to be crushing everything on its way. However, the fear of getting permanently cut off of the intelligent athlete's life due to that was an ineffable impediment.

"Emily Fields, you stupid coward." The brunette hissed at herself. Her voice echoed through the solitariness of the house and she silently thanked the fact that her parents had left to Texas the day before for a brief visit that would last until Saturday.

For her surprise, her phone began to ring. She arched an eyebrow and sat up in order to grab it from her nightstand. A sudden wave of anger mixed with sadness crashed into her as she read the name that had popped up on the device's screen. – _Spencer_ – of course it had to be her.

"Great. Just what I need." She mumbled sarcastically, feeling hesitant as to whether she should answer the call or not. After a few seconds, she decided it was better to get it over with.

"Spencer."

_"Hey."_ The young genius' voice sounded insecure, timid, even. It was, with no doubt, very unusual of her. But it wasn't enough to break through Emily's defensive state.

"What do you want?"

_"Can we talk? I know you're mad at me, and you have every reason to, but-"_

"Just cut the crap and say what you want."

_"Fine. But can you at least open the door for me? It's chilly outside."_

"What?! You're at my door?!"

_"Emily, for God's sake, I'm gonna freeze to death."_

"Okay! Fine! I'll be there in a second." Emily pressed her phone's 'end' button and stood up, not quite able to unravel the enormous mix of emotions that was now flowing inside of her. Sighing, she threw on an old pink hoodie that had been hung on her chair and practically ran down the stairs after leaving her room. She quickly opened the front door and her eyes caught sight of a very disturbed-looking Spencer, who apparently had rushed there from her house without even bothering to change from her white tank top and black pajama shorts.

"Hi." She greeted shyly before a shudder shook her and she instinctively shut her hazel eyes closed.

"Spencer, are you _insane_?!" Emily nearly yelled as she immediately unzipped her hoodie and wrapped it around the other brunette's thin form. – Her previous rage inexplicably forgotten.

"Maybe. I couldn't sleep. Again. I simply sat down in my car to think and, next thing I know, I was driving here." She stated; her hands found the fabric of Emily's hoodie and she wrapped it tighter around herself. The Filipino girl stared her down disapprovingly, though her hands never left the other girl's shoulders. Spencer noticed it and glanced at her clothes before clearing her throat. "Yeah…I might have been careless about...uh…_this._ But it's not like you're wearing much more than I am." Emily blushed momentarily as she felt her friend's eyes scanning the oversized shirt (one that had belonged to Ben and that she had kept only for the aspect of comfort) she was wearing and shook her head.

"The difference is that I'm inside. Come here." She pulled Spencer into the hall – and, consequently, against her body – and shut the door. Spencer's breath hitched and she hid her head against Emily's shoulder.

"Thanks for not letting me die." She said huskily. Emily rolled her eyes.

"Drama queen."

"Goof."

"Nerd."

They both chuckled, feeling comfortable with each other for the first time in days. Nervousness aside, Spencer snaked her arms around Emily's waist. The swimmer let out a satisfied hum and proceeded to caress Spencer's hair.

"I'm sorry for being such an ass, Em." The apology was muffled and hesitant. Silence took over for a painfully endless minute until Emily pulled away from the embrace and grabbed Spencer's wrist, not saying a word as she led her up the stairs. They entered her room, still silent, and Emily sat down on the cushioned spot right under her window. Spencer followed and took a seat beside her.

"I spoke to Toby." The swimmer stated. Spencer's eyes widened in terror, which earned her a squeeze from the other girl's hand. "Not about _that._ He just knows that we haven't been on good terms. I didn't tell him the reason, that's not my duty."

"Meaning…?"

"Meaning what you think I mean." Emily's expression was serious; her almond brown eyes were practically burning through Spencer's. Yet, she couldn't avoid but to gulp before continuing. "Listen…I'm not gonna make you choose. It wouldn't be fair to either of you. You're two of the people that matter the most to me and I can't ruin that because of a stupid crush." She had to use all of her self-control to ignore the way that the athlete's features saddened at the harshness of her words.

"Emily…"

"No. Please, don't make this harder." She almost choked on the knot that formed in her throat. "You have to tell him what happened, for the sake of your relationship and our friendship. We weren't thinking then. He will understand that it was a mistake. And then we'll be back to normal."

"'_Back to normal'?!_ Are you serious?!" Spencer was now panting in desperation. She wanted to laugh at how ridiculous everything sounded to her, but she feared it would dive her to hysteria. "We can't just get 'back to normal' after this. We can't just keep living our lives and deny that we have feelings for each other. If it were just, as you _so thoughtfully_ placed it, 'a stupid crush', it wouldn't be so fucking complicated. I would have just told you to get over it and proceeded to try to forget it as well. But it doesn't work like that, because it's not just anybody, it's _you._ It wasn't a mistake to me. Do you get it now? I _have_ to choose. I have to. And it kills me that I'm inevitably hurting one of you, but it has to be done."

She looked down, feeling fresh tears rolling down her face. The reality of the moment had struck her with such lack of mercy that it had caused her to snap and she had finally admitted out loud what the whole scenario between them truly meant for her. Breathing in with difficulty once more, she turned her gaze back to Emily, expecting her to snap as well; to run off or send her away. Instead, the Filipino girl led both hands to her own temples before finally speaking up.

"Shit."

"Quite."

"I hate this." A loud sob emitted from Emily as she dropped her arms on her lap and Spencer scooted closer, leaning her forehead against the left side of Emily's head and nuzzling her nose against her cheek.

"I know." She whispered. "I do, too."

They remained that way for a few minutes, until Emily glanced at the other brunette from the corner of her eye and turned her head slightly. Their lips were barely brushing and it made their agitation increase in a tremendous speed. She raised an arm and ran her hand through Spencer's brown waves while she sent her a suggestive look.

"Em…" Spencer whispered pleadingly. It was enough of permission. The swimmer closed the distance between them by pulling Spencer closer by the neck and crashing their lips together. Unlike the first time, which had been filled with insecurity and guilt, the kiss was assertive and passionate and, as their mouths moved together, their need to feel more of one another only grew. Spencer soon managed to deepen the kiss, earning tongue access from Emily almost immediately while she leaned her back down on the bench and pulled the swimmer against her by the waist. She felt the other girl's hands running down her sides right before she briefly broke apart form her lips to move on to her neck. A surprised gasp escaped Spencer as Emily, while sucking on her neck's pulse point, placed her right leg in between her thighs and started to move it teasingly against the fabric that covered her center.

"Em…ugh…as much as I…ah…am enjoying this…gosh…we should stop." She whimpered. Emily instantly obliged, interrupting the teasing movements and raising her head from Spencer's neck in order to stare into her eyes. "It's just that if we'd kept this going…"

"It's okay, I understand." Emily said, shifting her body so she was lying on her side, next to Spencer instead of on top of her. Considering the way that they were panting and the darkness of their eyes, remaining in their previous position would have been too dangerous."It wouldn't have been right."

"At least for now." Spencer murmured weakly.

"At least for now." Emily repeated before placing a soft peck on the young genius' lips.

* * *

Toby's eyes flickered open as he heard his cell phone beep. He rubbed his eyes cautiously and let out a yawn as he lifted from his bed. There was no other sound in the loft besides the one coming from the device and the loneliness that cascaded in the place was far from delighting. He wished Spencer was there. If only the awkwardness that had settled between them finally ceased.

He ran his hands through his hair, making it messier – it didn't matter, since no one could see him in his room's darkness – and reached for his phone, wondering what could have possibly led someone to text him at that hour as he unlocked it. For a split of second, a tiny wave of hope that it was Spencer trying to get things back to as they were washed over his mind, however, it quickly faded as he noticed the blocked id. That didn't make sense. Mona was at Radley. The 'A' threats were supposedly over. Unless Spencer had lied to him about it.

He bit his lip in hesitation, before deciding, at last, to open the damned message.

**Cheater, cheater, best friend eater. Toby's such a fool. –A**

"What…?" He mumbled, intrigued. He scanned the screen with his eyes for a moment, noticing, then, that there was a video file attached to the text. Without any further ceremony, he pressed 'open'.

Had he known that he would instantly regret it, he would never have.

Spencer.

And Emily.

Making out.

It was not so easy to see them through the window and the dim light of the swimmer's room. But, having considered the fact that he knew both girls so well – or so had he thought - there was no possibility of him mistaking them for other people.

Except he wished he could.

"No…this can't be true." He pleaded to no one in particular. Tears threatened to leave his bright blue eyes and he forced himself to look up for a moment to avoid them. A new beep from the phone warned him that a second text had arrived. Gritting his teeth, he opened it as well.

**Ignorance is bliss, don't you think? –A**

The visceral expression that appeared on his face would have scared even the toughest person alive. There was a loud crashing sound as he threw the repugnant device at the room's opposite wall and the screen shattered, releasing tiny bits of it that landed on the floor along with the rest.

Much like the pieces of his heart.

* * *

**So, I would like to point out one thing: I have been watching season 3B, but, in spite of that, I have no intention to dwell on the fact that Toby is the 'new A' in this fic. Considering how I've been bulding it, it would be too confusing and the story would turn into a mess. Which means Toby isn't 'A' in this fic. I am, however, working on a one shot that will feature the events after 3x16 (with a Spemily twist, of course) and I'll upload it as soon as I finish. So keep an eye for it!**

**Oh, and, reviews to this chapter are very welcomed, as I would really like to know what you think.**

**~angstylullaby**


	6. Together we'd float

**Hey there! This is probably the longest chapter so far; I was really inspired (with the help of various Spemily-resembling songs) while writing it. I hope you like it.**

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**Chapter six: Together we'd float**

Emily blinked multiple times as her eyes tired to adapt to the morning light. A feeling of confusion was currently settled in her. She was sure that it was her room's ceiling she was looking at, even though her vision was still blurry with sleep. She knew she was in her bed. But there was something different. There was a foreign source of heat underneath her that was keeping her strangely relaxed. She wanted to lift from the bed and rub the sleep off of her eyes, yet there was something keeping her still, which made her frown momentarily. A soothing sound reached her ears, coming from where her head was resting. Why was her pillow breathing? And why did it have a heart beat?

_Oh._

She turned her head, finally catching sight of the girl that was holding her, as she remembered what had happened the prior night. Spencer's eyes were still closed in a distant slumber, her cheek pressed against the top of Emily's head and her arms were protectively wrapped around the swimmer's torso. She looked so amazingly peaceful that Emily decided to snuggle even closer to her, with no will at all to wake the intelligent athlete.

Letting a deep sigh escape her mouth, she once again closed her eyes, trying to get back into the quiescent state she had been a few seconds before. -With no success. - She was too aware of the situation now and it was starting to mortify her. She was in trouble; there was no glimpse of doubt about that. – Despite the talk that had taken place the night before - She had made the mistake of getting attached (in terrible excess) to the brown haired beauty that she was lying against. After Alison, she had taken an oath that she would never allow herself to fall for another best friend and now it had been broken. She gritted her teeth at the thought. Had Alison been alive to witness what she had got into, the blonde would probably have made some snarky comment regarding Emily's naïve nature.

Panic started to creep from within the disturbed brunette and she instinctively shifted her body, raising her head from Spencer's chest, in order to get as father away from her as she could, briefly forgetting that the other girl's arms were an inevitable barrier to her escape. She tensed up as she heard Spencer's breathing hitch, which was followed by a twitch of her hand that was connected to the arm that was under Emily's form.

"Please, don't wake up." She pleaded in a strangled, almost inaudible tone. Unfortunately, it was too late for her wish to be granted.

"Em…?" Spencer's voice was hoarser than usual. She cleared her throat while stretching her slender arms and Emily immediately took that as an opportunity to sit up. There was a discrete yawn from behind her and she figured that the young genius had copied her movements. "Good morning." She now sounded carefree, uncharacteristically bubbly, as she gently grabbed hold of the swimmer's hipbones and charmingly planted a kiss near her earlobe. Emily inevitably stiffened at the touch - due to the electricity it sent through her spine - which made Spencer drop her hands as if she had been burnt. Emily hugged herself and stared blankly at the wall. "What's wrong?"

She remained silent, refusing to turn her gaze to Spencer, knowing that her friend now probably had a hurt expression on her face. She wouldn't bear the sight of the lost puppy dog eyes that the other brunette unconsciously made when she had something taken away from her. And Emily was aware that her closeness suited that category.

"Emily." Spencer called once again, in a more serious, extremely concerned tone. She honestly was tired of the mood swings that now constantly attacked both of them; their stability was obviously hanging by a thread.

"What are we doing?" the question was desperate, upset. And, still, Emily persisted in avoiding eye-contact. Spencer chewed on her bottom lip, transparently unsure.

"I…don't know how to answer that."

"Exactly."

"What are you trying to say?!" Spencer's voice got louder, breaking at the end of the startled sentence.

"I'm trying to say we can't be this careless until you give me some certainty." Emily replied coldly.

"Em, I'm sorry, I can't give you that right now." Spencer looked down, sighing. "We've talked about this. You know what I need to do before-"

"Yeah, well, what if you don't do it?" Emily said as she gripped her bed sheets. "Then all of this will have been for granted."

"You can't just pressure me like this, I need time."

"Then stop with the touchy-feely-ness, it's driving me crazy." Dreadful silence fell over the two young women for what seemed like an eternity until Emily cleared her throat. "I don't want to get hurt again. I don't want you to pull an Alison on me." Spencer's face twisted in newfound rage at the bitter assumption.

"I am _not_ like Alison."

This time, the fury that echoed in the brown haired genius' statement was enough to make Emily finally turn around. Spencer was livid. Her eyes were wide, her jaw was clenched, her nose was wrinkled in distaste and her eyebrows were inches apart in the middle of her forehead. Seeing that, Emily instantly regretted her last words.

"Spence…"

"No, don't 'Spence' me." She spat as she stood up from the bed. "I've had enough of this, I'm out of here." With that, she stormed out of the room. Loud hurried footsteps were heard from the stairs, followed by the resonant 'bang' of the door closing with strength. Emily mentally cursed the fact that she had forgotten to lock as she heard the engine of Spencer's car start. She gulped before quickly getting up and ran down after her as fast as her body permitted. To her despair, as she got out of the house, the only thing she could see was the back of the Mercedes straying away at a blood-freezing speed.

* * *

Spencer wanted to scream. She practically clawed her nails on the steering wheel as she drove. Her body was tired. Her shoulders were heavy. And it felt like someone had stuck a knife in her stomach. She simply couldn't fathom how little time it had taken for her relationship with Emily to transform into an emotional tsunami. Things were way out of control for her comfort. The cataclysm had arrived.

Her car's digital clock told her that it was 11:30, reminding her that she was supposed to be at school. She laughed hysterically. Considering everything that was happening, such a trivial thing had zero importance at that moment.

As she finally regained a steady breathing rhythm, after stopping the car in front of the Hastings mansion, she got out and walked through the house directly to the backyard, towards the barn turned loft that she habited. She quickly changed into a pair of blue skinny jeans and a dark sleeveless blouse. She had no intentions of staying home; she needed to get away from everyone for at least that day, or she would probably end up in a white colored room at Radley.

Her plans, however, were interrupted by a beeping sound coming from her cell phone - that she had forgotten to take with her the night before - lying on the counter next to the fridge. She glared at it intensely, as if she could somehow destroy it by doing that, before picking it up and unlocking it. There were seven texts from Hanna. _Predictable._ And the one that had just arrived, from a blocked id. _Also predictable._ - She decided to check Hanna's first, since they were probably much less threatening.

**(8:30) Where are you? You never miss school, is something wrong?**

**(8:45) Spence, answer me, I'm worried.**

**(9:00) Seriously, what's going on?**

**(9:15) Emily didn't come to school either, have you heard from her?**

**(9:30) Wait, are you with her?**

**(9:45) Are you at her place?**

**(10:00) Are you on her ****_bed_****?**

Even though it was true, Spencer couldn't help but to roll her eyes at the last message. She never really understood how she was able to put up with the blonde's perverted nature. Sure, she couldn't call herself completely innocent and she had teased Aria about Ezra before, but this was a different situation. A _very serious_ situation. So she inevitably disapproved of Hanna's assumption. In spite of that, she decided to call her before a new explosion of messages arrived from her.

_"Spencer!"_ The 'it' girl immediately answered. _"Where the hell have you been?!"_

"Hey, Han." Spencer said motionlessly. "I was at Emily's. Went there last night and forgot my phone."

_"Oh…so you **were** on her bed?"_ The blonde asked mockingly, letting out a chuckle.

"Shut up." The young athlete hissed. "Not the time for that, things are seriously damaged."

_"What happened?"_

"I snapped at her and left."

_"Wait, why?"_

"She said I was pulling an Alison."

Silence.

"Han…?"

_"You **are** pulling an Alison, you know."_

"Oh, not you too." Spencer protested, leading a hand to the bridge of her nose and rubbing it impatiently. "What do you want me to do? I can't simply go to Toby and be like 'I'm sorry, but there's someone else. And that someone else happens to be your best friend' it's not that easy."

_"I know."_

"Then what do I do?"

_"Spencer Hastings is asking **me** for advice? Damn, this is **really** serious."_

"Hanna."

_"Sorry."_ There was a brief pause, from which Spencer assumed the blonde was taking her time to think. _"Do you love Toby?"_

"What?"

_"Toby. Do you love him?"_

"Of course I do."

_"If you really do, then why do you have feelings for Emily?" _

"I…uh…"

_"You don't need to answer that right away. Not to me, at least. But, please…don't lead Emily on. You don't have to avoid her completely, though. Keep a safe distance until you figure it out and then talk to her. And Toby."_

"I will. Thanks, Han."

_"My pleasure."_ With that, the line went silent. Letting out an exhausted breath, she proceeded to open the blocked id text.

**Eenie-meenie-miney-mo. Someone needed a little push, so I sent Toby a little film. –A**

Attached to it was a video file. Spencer clicked 'open' and her jaw fell in astonishment.

"No…" She panicked and dropped the device, running out of the loft a second later. She would have to talk to Toby now. Explain everything to him. She definitely hadn't made a choice yet, but, given what 'A' had done, insisting on keeping the carpenter away was out of question.

Coincidently, as she rushed out to the entrance – where she had left her car - there he was, leaning against his truck's side, his gaze turned to the ground. The sound of her footsteps made him raise his head and a shot of guilt hit her as his bright blue eyes pierced through her.

"Spencer." He acknowledged her bitterly. She stopped in her tracks, panting.

"Toby…" She took a breath before approaching him cautiously, sending him a pleading look. "I can explain."

"Please do." He said, serious, motioning to the truck. "Get in." She obliged and entered the truck's passenger seat. He followed, sitting down at the driver's seat and letting out a hurtful sigh. "You didn't say it isn't what it looks like." He obviously referred to the video. She embraced her own torso.

"I didn't." She said. Tears were threatening to leave her eyes, but she used all of her strength to hold them back. "But it doesn't mean I deliberately set out to hurt you." She gulped. He remained silent, looking out of the vehicle's window. "This is really hard for me, okay?"

"What do you mean?" He asked, turning to her. She tugged at her own blouse, finding a sudden interest in it. "Spencer."

"I've been confused." She stated nervously. "I n-never meant for this to happen, but it did. I …I have feelings for Emily."

"That part was pretty clear on the video." He spat. She shut her eyes closed, trying not to give in to a temper loss.

"It's not that simple." She protested. He arched an eyebrow, questioning. "It's not just a lust-moved thing. I think I might love her." The admission made a shiver run through her. She looked down, partially scared, partially ashamed. "She means the world to me…And yet I was a magnificent jerk to her."

"Oh." His eyes widened in realization and his voice softened. A few silent seconds went by until he carefully reached for her hand, intertwining their fingers together. She looked up, surprised. "It's obvious that you love her." Spencer frowned, not really understating what he intended. "It's obvious because she's your best friend. And you've always had a strong bond. But are you _in love _with her?"

The brunette turned her gaze away for a moment and gave Toby's hand a safety-seeking squeeze. The answer was there. It was undoubtedly there. She inhaled deeply, determined to let it out for once.

"Yes."

He sent her a comprehensive look and squeezed her hand back. Then a glimpse of insecurity painted his features.

"Are you in love with _me_?"

She locked her stare with his, hesitant. This time the answer wasn't clear in her mind. And it terrified her. He waited patiently, but it never came.

"You're having doubts." He stated calmly, trying his best to not show that his heart was completely breaking. A sob shook the uneasy girl next to him.

"I'm sorry." She whispered. He freed his hand from hers and caressed her cheek.

"Spencer." His voice was now gentle, soothing. "I want you to be happy. And I can see that you're not happy."

She placed her hand on top of his, accepting his reassurance, then leaned in and pressed their lips together for what would be the last time. He replied to the contact tenderly and pulled her closer. She grabbed the back of his hair and deepened the kiss, trying desperately to tell him through that how sorry she, in fact, was for disappointing him. After a few seconds, he parted from her and stared once more into her hazel eyes.

"I'm gonna be okay." He murmured. She nodded, with tears now streaming down her cheeks. He kissed her forehead and offered her a smile. "Go talk to Emily. Make things right."

* * *

After stressing about the coarse argument that happened in the morning and wandering for a while in front of her house, Emily decided, due to the fact she had accidentally missed school, that she had nothing better to do than go to work. She got back in the house and changed into a pair of dark jeans and a plaid white shirt. Luckily enough, she managed to drive to The Brew right in time for her shift. However, to her dismay, when she entered the coffee shop she was instantly cornered by Aria and Hanna.

"I don't wanna talk about it." Was her instant reaction to her friend's unceasing questions about the earlier events. The brunette occupied herself by rubbing a partially old towel across the counter, which didn't quite need cleaning – she just wanted to seem busy enough to be left alone.

"Emily, stop being evasive." Hanna complained; her arms crossed on her chest. "Please. I've already talked to Spencer about it, but it wouldn't hurt to listen to your side of the story."

"You _what?!_" The swimmer exclaimed. "Hanna…"

"Don't." The 'it' girl raised a hand in front of Emily's face, in order to interrupt her. "I was trying to help. We…" She gestured towards Aria. "Are trying to help." The tiny artist nodded.

"The effect this is having on both of you is crueler than naturalism romantic literature." She added, tilting her head to the side, her raven hair waving slightly. "And I must say, Em, extra-jumpy does not look good on you." Emily rolled her eyes in annoyance and grabbed a silver tray from under the counter.

"Just let me finish my shift."

"Fine." Hanna hissed. All the tension was definitely starting to get to her as well. It was no longer a matter of bringing peace between Spencer and Emily. The group as a whole was suffering dangerous side effects. "But after you do, we _will_ talk about it. Don't you dare leave this place before that."

The blonde's irritation, combined with Aria's big green persuasive orbs, eventually made Emily throw her free hand in defeat.

"Fine."

* * *

Light was staring to fade into darkness as closing time approached in the coffee shop. Emily was now sat in a chair in front of Aria and Hanna, who had taken spots on a small sofa. The Filipino girl was fidgeting in an apparently unconscious manner, playing with her hands nervously while she glanced around.

She had already shared her point of view of her and Spencer's verbal confrontation, but that was not what had triggered her currently uncomfortable state.

The reason for that were six little words that were preached by Aria in a rather cautious question, accompanied by a curious eyebrow raise.

"Are you in love with her?"

Silence had dominated the three of them after that and, due to the way that her two concerned friends were staring at each other, and then back at her, it seemed they were growing impatient with each second it took her to answer.

"Well…?" Hanna tried to encourage her while leaning her torso forward and joining her hands on her lap.

"I…I…listen, is it really necessary to label how I feel?" Emily questioned in a disturbed whisper, shaking her head. Aria placed a hand on her knee in an attempt to calm her.

"Em…" She began saying, locking her green eyes with the swimmer's brown ones. "I know how scared you are after having suffered so much because of love. It wasn't fair that Alison continuously lead you on. It wasn't fair that Maya left every time things got difficult. It isn't fair that they're both gone forever. And it wasn't fair that you had to sacrifice a possible relationship with Paige because she wanted to keep you in the closet. But that doesn't mean you're doomed to have bad luck for the rest of your life. You deserve good love. You really do."

"That's true." Hanna continued. "And, as I've already said, you and Spencer are meant to be. It's inevitable, despite all the complications. Despite Toby. This is not some Hollywood movie with a perfectly structured formula. This is reality. And in reality the girl can get the girl. Not for a happy ending. For a happy _beginning_."

Emily stayed quiet for a few seconds, processing everything that the young women had said to her. They regained their patience after their speech, it seemed, for they waited, offering the slender brunette reassuring smiles. Finally, Emily ran both hands through her hair and took a life-searching breath before speaking up.

"I'm in love with her." She tested the sentence in her lips. It tasted sweet. A tender aroma; like vanilla. And a pool of warmth flooded her stomach, soon taking over her entire body. A smile spread on her features as her mind travelled through hazel colored irises, smooth brown hair, endearing protective nature and a heart-melting husky voice. She couldn't help but to let out a very shy laugh before repeating it. "I'm in love with Spencer."

* * *

The sky had darkened, at last, and Emily had been given the task of closing the shop, due to her boss' night appointment. Something about an important dinner. Not that it was any of her business, anyway. Aria and Hanna had already left to their homes for supper. For the first time in what felt like a century, Emily was genuinely smiling. She had no idea of what she'd do if she hadn't had the luck of having such caring friends. Without their help, she would have never admitted to her true feelings and wouldn't be feeling as light as she currently was.

She finished locking the shop's front door humming in joy, almost singing. It couldn't be denied that there were still unresolved issues between her and the intelligent object of her affection; however, she decided that unnecessary melancholy was not what she needed at that moment. Whenever she got to see Spencer again she would make sure that they had a grown-up, drama-free conversation. Well, she would try, at least. Emily's emotional side (that composed most of her being, actually) couldn't fully be trusted in such scenarios.

Fate and its devilish manners, unfortunately, could not miss the opportunity to prove that the brunette's insecurities regarding her emotional control were far from wrong. Said girl's phone beeped loudly, making her instantly stiffen. She grabbed it with a grunted 'not now' and squeezed her eyes for a moment ('blocked id' had obviously appeared on the screen) before opening the text.

**Roses are red, violets are blue. It's such a shame Spencer didn't choose you. –A**

Emily's face twisted in a frown. She was so sick of 'A' and her/his/their ridiculous plan to mess her up. Why couldn't she catch a break?

But, hold on.

There was an attachment.

"Damn it." She hissed. If 'A' had some sort of 'proof' to her message, then things were about to get even more screwed. Rather unwillingly, she pressed 'open' on the screen. A picture popped up.

Spencer and Toby.

Kissing in Toby's truck.

She forgot how to breathe. She forgot how to stand. She shuffled clumsily on her feet, having to place her right hand on the door behind her to avoid what would be a very painful fall.

"You've gotta be kidding me." She let out, her voice breaking. She had to cover her mouth to suppress a shrilled scream. It would probably bring unwanted attention.

In spite of that, the attention came.

"Are you okay?"

It was a soft, low voice. Preoccupied. Familiar. Emily wiped the newly formed tears from her eyes and cleared her throat before looking at the voice's source direction.

Paige.

The girl had stopped on the sidewalk about four feet away from her. She had a grey beanie on her head, that contrasted perfectly the black leather jacket she was wearing. Her face showed confusion and a bit of fear. Fear of approaching the downcast looking brunette in front of her, as if she were a time bomb that was about to go off.

"I'm fine." Emily lied. Paige's brow furrowed and she took a cautious step closer.

"No, you're not." She risked a statement. "You look miserable." Emily crossed her arms as she finally regained balance and looked down, examining her own converse shoes. "Emily…?"

"I feel like shit." She replied hoarsely, squeezing her eyes once more. Paige decided to drop the carefulness and walked to a close proximity, offering the swimmer a squeeze on her arm as comfort.

"Want me to walk you home?" She asked, worried about her former lover's well-being. Emily stared at her and a blank expression threatened to appear on her face. But the sincerity in Paige's eyes kept her from lifting her walls. So she decided it would be all right to accept her help. Being alone during the journey home would probably only make her worse.

"Yeah. Thanks."

* * *

**Plot twist, because I'm a malevolent being who likes to torture people.**

**Just kidding, haha. I'm not that evil...I think.**

**Anyway, what do you guys think will happen?**

**Keep reading! I'm always thankful! :D**

**~angstylullaby**


	7. Unwanted developments

**I hope this chapter is enjoyed by you guys, I'm not completely sure wether I like it or not.**

* * *

**Chapter seven: Unwanted developments**

The following day would usually be received by the liars with relief, due to the arrival of the weekend. This time, however, they had no clue that three of them –especially a certain brown haired field hockey player- would be presented with a rather unpleasant surprise.

Aria, Hanna and Spencer had planned to meet at The Brew for an early cup of coffee. All of them had tried to contact Emily the night before, with no success, to their concern. – The swimmer had apparently tuned off her phone. Spencer was, needless to say, completely anxious to see her. She had planned to look for Emily and tell her about her realizations after the talk with Toby, but her parents' terrible timing had forced her to be part of dinner with one of her father's important clients. Said client had a 20-year-old son and, having been told about the separation with the shy carpenter, Mr. Hastings had quickly seen an opportunity to close a business deal with the help of his daughter's charm. Spencer, of course, had been entirely distasted by her father's insinuation on using her and had taken her sarcasm to an extreme level during the meeting.

"Let's just hope she hasn't gone nuts and ran off somewhere like the last time we lost sign of her." Hanna mumbled -her worry masked by annoyance- as they entered the coffee shop. She inevitably earned a death glare from Spencer. Aria hit the blonde's side with her elbow, without bothering with being discrete.

"Hanna, quit being an idiot." She said through gritted teeth, then turned to the other brunette. "Calm down, Spence, she probably just needed some alone time."

Hanna, offended by Aria's request and being stubborn as she was, was about to make another jokingly remark when her eyes widened and she instantly closed her mouth. The other two girls stared at her with curiosity as the 'it' girl stepped closer to Spencer and tugged at her arm, trying to pull her away from whatever it was she had seen.

"You know, there's another place across the street that has the best blueberry muffins." She stated nervously as she kept hold of Spencer with one hand and pushed the shop's door open with the other. "We should totally go there, like, _right now_."

"What's with the jumpiness?" Spencer asked, her eyebrow's raised; she tried to release from Hanna's grip, without accomplishing it – the blonde was incredibly insistent. That's when Aria glanced at where Hanna had looked seconds before and let out an uncontrolled gasp, automatically placing her hands on Spencer's back; she started to push her as Hanna pulled her arm, both trying desperately to get her out of there as rapidly as their small forms allowed them.

"You're right, Han, there's no comparison to those, they taste like heaven." She exclaimed, quite unconvincingly. "Let's go."

"Okay, what the hell is going on?!" The slim brunette yelled, impatient, debating against the sudden imprisonment her friends had on her.

Bound to unknowingly frustrate Hanna and Aria's quest, a very familiar, delicious-sounding laugh reached Spencer's ears. The older girl turned her head to its direction, but her vision was interrupted by a pair of tiny hands.

"Nothing to see there!" Aria said breathlessly as she tiptoed to cover Spencer's face. That was the breaking point; the young athlete had had enough.

"Let go of me. Now." She hissed. "Both of you." Startled, both girls did as she had demanded, even though they knew a really disastrous situation was about to settle.

That was confirmed by Spencer's expression when she, finally able to see, witnessed a very flustered Paige giving Emily a kiss on the cheek at one of the tables. The swimmer let out a timid chuckle and leaned in to whisper something on the other girl's ear. Spencer instantly wished that the smile that spread across Paige's face due to whatever Emily had said was enough of a motive to commit a first degree murder and get away with it by declaring insanity. - Insane jealousy had to count, right?

"How dare she." The sentence left the brown haired genius' mouth in a low, almost psychopathic tone. "After everything that happened, how _dare_ she?!" She motioned forward, her fists clenched.

"Spencer, stop." Aria pleaded, grabbing hold of her waist. "Nothing good will come out of it if you confront her here. I'm sure she has an explanation."

"Oh, she'd better have one, 'cause I'm about to explain my fist on Paige's stupid face."

"Listen to yourself; you're not making any sense." Hanna said in a whispered exclamation. "That means you're in crazy mode. Come on. Let's go to the park or something, you need to cool off."

"Hey, Emily!" The brunette called loudly, ignoring Hanna's statements and struggling to get free from Aria's grip. The Filipino girl looked at their direction and her smile fell as she noticed Spencer and her current rage. Curious heads turned to watch the scene, which only contributed to the tension. "A little message from the girl that was 'pulling an Alison' on you: it's nice to see you're _pulling a Samara_ on me. Makes me feel _really special!_"

There was no response, since Emily had completely frozen in shock. All Spencer could hear was an enormously confused 'what is she saying?' from Paige before she was dragged out of the coffee shop with newfound determined strength by Aria and Hanna.

* * *

"Spence…Spencer!" Aria's voice echoed through the trees. They had, indeed, gone to the park and sat the furious girl on one of the benches. Hanna, ever so considerate, had gone back to The Brew and bought a large expresso that was now clenched between Spencer's hands. She hadn't, however, to the increase of their uneasiness, taken a single sip of the beverage.

"Please drink your coffee." Hanna said pleadingly, placing a hand on Spencer's shoulder. The gesture made the brunette flinch and the 'it' girl recoiled her arm, frowning. "Come on…Spencer minus caffeine is like Thor minus his hammer." Aria took a seat beside the young athlete and examined her during a couple of minutes.

"Shutting down isn't going to help you." She stated calmly. "And it isn't going to help Emily either."

"She's getting enough help from Paige." Spencer whispered. The gut-punching sensation that had taken over her was so intense that she couldn't even sound angry as she was before. Hanna sat by her other side and wrapped an arm around her shoulder. This time, the currently vulnerable brunette allowed the contact. She sighed disturbingly and took the cup to her mouth, closing her eyes as her life elixir reached her lips.

"There you go." Hanna hummed, satisfied, offering her a comforting smile.

"I don't get it." Aria suddenly stated, looking around and crossing her arms. "Why would Emily hook up with Paige? I thought she-"

"Ar…" Hanna warned as she sensed Spencer tense up once again. "They were flirting, that can't be denied, but it doesn't necessarily mean they're hooking up." The aspirant writer stared at them with eyes that told Hanna that she wished to add something to the subject, but, having considered that it could strike Spencer's unusual fragility, she simply nodded, deciding to remain quiet. "Something must've happened to make her go to Paige. This is too strange. And it stinks of 'A' set up."

"Or maybe she simply got tired of waiting for my mediocre being and realized she can do better." The phrase sounded bitter and full of sorrow. Spencer took another sip of her coffee after her exposure of her thoughts, not catching the look of unrestrained incredulity that her two friends sent her.

"You can't be serious." Aria protested.

"In no way is Paige better than you. Don't be stupid, you're too smart for that." Hanna yelped before shaking her head. The corner of Spencer's mouth twisted slightly in decrepit. Realizing that nothing she said would be able to cease her friend's uncharacteristic self-consciousness, the blonde opted for leaning her head against her shoulder and hoping that the silence would soothe her.

Much to the trio's deception regarding the need for tranquility, Emily appeared with a look on her face that was tremendously alarming. It seemed that she could commit a massive slaughter right then and there.

"Oh, that is _not_ good." Aria stated, grabbing Spencer's wrist in advanced protection.

"Spencer Jillian Hastings." Emily called the other brunette's name lividly, noticeably restraining herself from yelling.

"Shit, she full named you." Hanna said wide-eyed as she raised her head from Spencer's shoulder. "The Kraken has been released."

Before she could be stopped, the intelligent athlete placed her barely touched cup on Aria's hand and stoop up, ready to face whatever consequences her jealousy outburst at The Brew was about to bring her.

"Em…"

"No, don't 'Em' me." The swimmer hissed, much similarly as what had been Spencer's last saying during their previous argument. "You had no right to do what you did."

"Excuse me?"

Spencer's features now showed that she was using all of her will to not let out a sarcastic laugh. Emily stepped forward, standing dangerously close to the older girl; Spencer could even smell the _latte_ resembling aroma that was on her breath.

"You walked out on me yesterday. And you didn't say a word after that. I was fine, knowing you probably needed to calm down and think –'cause I _had_ been harsh on you-, until I found out, through _this_…" The Filipino girl pulled out her phone, shoving it to Spencer's face. The 'A' text from the day before was opened on the screen. "…that you chose _him._" Spencer raised an eyebrow, surprised. "That was not even the problem; I was willing to let it go, for the sake of our strained friendship. But then today you show up and act like a complete basket case because I was hanging out with an ex."

"Wait, Emily, I-"

"I'm not hearing a word of it, let me finish." Emily growled. "This isn't the Spencer show, where everything is perfect and you can have the best of both worlds, 'cause I am done with whatever it was that we had between us. And, you know what else? If I want to give Paige another shot, I will. You're not the boss of me."

"If you won't even listen to what I have to say and wish to only retaliate me, go ahead, then." Spencer grunted, taken over by an irrational wave of rage. "See if I care."

"Fine." Emily hissed.

"Fine." Spencer hissed back. The girls remained glaring at each other, failing miserably to look intimidating, for long minutes. Both of them occasionally glancing at the other's lips, then back at the other's eyes. They had obviously forgotten that they had an audience.

"Oh, the sexual tension." Hanna let out, instantly receiving a slap in the arm from Aria. She mouthed an 'ouch' to the tiny artist then turned back to the pair of infuriated young women. "Just kiss already, Gosh."

"Not when I'm obviously not the one she wants to lock lips with." Spencer replied; her eyes not leaving Emily's for even a second. Emily's face twisted in repulse.

"Unbelievable." With that, she finally broke the staring contest and walked away. Spencer watched, her body stiff as it could ever be, as Emily's figure diminished with every step she took far from her sight. The park was dominated by an awful silence, except for the birds' occasional tweet.

"Well, that escalated quickly." Hanna spoke once more, now extremely disappointed by her friend's obliviousness towards the misunderstanding 'A' had malevolently created to break them apart.

"We could've said something, you know." Aria said, ashamed for not having tried to help.

"Do you think Emily would have listened in the state she was?"

"…no."

"There's your answer."

* * *

Hanna walked through the Fields' front yard, her phone in hand and pure will on her face. It was a grayish Sunday, and the 'it' girl could have stayed home enjoying the resting that the free day provided, instead, she had gone there to attempt to fix the indescribable mess that had taken part in the group's life. She knocked on the door impatiently, nearly bringing it down, until it finally opened, revealing a displeasingly distant-looking Emily.

"Oh…hi." Was all that left Emily's mouth when she saw her. The blonde scoffed.

"Seriouly, Em? Is that everything you have to say?"

Emily stared at her curiously. Hanna sighed resonantly.

"This is getting really out of hand." She didn't need to explain more to let Emily know she was referring to what had happened in the park the prior day.

"You don't think I know that?" The swimmer answered, frustrated. "I wish it could be different, but, unfortunately, right now it can't. And, to be honest, Han, I need a break."

"A break from Spencer will only do you both more harm, Em, try to listen-"

"No, Hanna. Not a break from Spencer." Emily cut her off. She gulped insecurely and turned her gaze away, hoping she wouldn't regret her next words and yet hating herself for them. "A break from all of you."

The last thing Emily saw before shutting the door was Hanna's jaw dropping in disbelief.

* * *

"Can you please talk to her?"

"You do know I'll most likely get scolded too, right?"

Toby tried to reason with the duo that was standing in front of him. Aria and Hanna had asked him to meet them at Spencer's in that afternoon a couple of hours after Hanna's unfortunate visit to Emily's house. They requested him to seek the young swimmer and make her rationalize about the situation; explain what had really happened between him and Spencer in his truck. He knew that plan was doomed to fail, since he was the last person (after the intelligent athlete) that she wanted to see.

"She thinks I'm the reason she's not with Spencer." He pointed out, using his free-will at maximum to avoid looking at said brown haired girl, who was lying on her bed curled up in a ball, her eyes shut as she pretended to sleep.

"I'm sorry, Toby, I know we're asking a lot of you, especially since…" Aria began, glancing at Spencer as to imply the end of her sentence.

"Hey, don't worry." He said, shaking his head. "I'd like to help, really. But it won't work if Emily, as you've told me, doesn't want anyone near her."

"Unless that someone is Paige." The sound was muffled and hoarse (hoarser than usual), still, it gave in that Spencer had been listening to the conversation. Aria walked towards the bed, sat down next to the grieving girl and rubbed her back caringly.

"How are you feeling?" She asked, her green eyes beaming with concern.

"_Spectacular_ " Was the defensively sarcastic reply. Her current emotional state was, with no doubt, far from symphonic. Toby arched an eyebrow.

"Emily's with Paige?" He asked, finding the revelation hugely odd.

"We're not sure, but she probably is now." Hanna answered, wrinkling her nose at the thought of her friend's recent terrible choices.

"Isn't that the girl who-"

"Tried to drown her." Three feminine voices echoed in a low, bored tone simultaneously in the room.

* * *

Emily was feeling like the lowest, most despicable being on Earth. The reason for that: she had let Paige McCullers kiss her. Right after sending Hanna away, she had gone up the stairs and back to her room, where her former swimming teammate was waiting for her. She had immediately noticed Emily's tension and offered a massage. A simple action like a massage. A good intended action (she wasn't so sure about that now, though). Emily's need to relax had spoken louder than any contradiction, so she obliged and, before she realized, they were engaged in an intense embrace.

And, while Paige seemed incredibly pleased with that, she didn't enjoy it a single bit.

Because the whole time she was thinking of Spencer and how kissing Paige was a mistake.

She had accused Spencer of leading her on and now she was doing the same to Paige.

She was a god damn hypocrite.

* * *

**Angst.**

**Endless angst.**

**When will I stop with the angst.**

**Not so soon, I guess.**

**As always, thanks for reading/following/reviewing!**

**~angstylullaby**


	8. No one does it better

**Yet another chapter. Hope you like it!**

* * *

**Chapter eight: No one does it better**

Monday morning arrived in what felt like the speed of light to the girls. None of them were particularly enthusiastic about having to go through another full week of stressful classes, tiring extra-curricular activities and inevitable 'Spemily drama', which was how Hanna had named Spencer and Emily's currently troubled demeanor (much to Spencer's displease). In resume, Emily now isolated herself from the rest of the group and ran off whenever she encountered them unintentionally. It was really getting on everyone's nerves, especially Spencer's. And it surely didn't help that the Filipino girl now hanged out with Paige constantly. The former brown-haired swimmer dragged her around the school corridors by the hand giggling through the majority of the time. It made Spencer sick to the stomach.

"Had we lived in the Middle Age, I would have simply yelled 'witch' while pointing at her and it would be over." Spencer growled to Aria and Hanna as she watched Paige with murderous eyes. She and Emily were at Emily's locker chatting. Something about a movie date. Not that she cared.

Then Paige gave her a peck on the lips and Spencer shuffled uncomfortably on her feet, her teeth gritted.

"Bitch."

Well, maybe she cared a little.

"Whoa, you've got it _bad_." Aria said, placing a hand under Spencer's books, which were near to falling off her arms.

"Yeah, I can even see that little vein in your temple pulsating." Hanna pointed out, squeezing her eyes as she examined Spencer's face amusedly. The brown-haired genius death glared her – a habit that was becoming increasingly usual to her.

"It's not funny."

"Eh…a tiny bit." The blonde raised her hand, making a small measurement between her thumb and her index.

"You're lucky my hands are busy." Spencer hissed, gripping her books with strength. Hanna stuck her tongue at her. "Would you stop with the teasing?"

"I do it because I love you." The 'it' girl offered, batting her eyelashes and sending her what she imagined was her most innocent smile.

"I highly doubt it." Spencer scoffed. Hanna opened her mouth to protest, but Aria raised her hand, her index lifted, in order to keep her from speaking.

"Look." She alerted them. They turned their gaze to where she was referring.

Emily.

During Hanna and Spencer's mini fall out, Paige had left her alone at her locker. The slim brunette now was pressing her forehead against the cold metal and her eyes were closed. Her face showed pure disorientation and…guilt?

"Something's off." Aria declared. Spencer squirmed, fighting the sudden urge to walk towards Emily and comfort her. The swimmer looked up at the trio, apparently having heard Aria's voice. Her stare froze on Spencer and a flash of longing covered her features before she shook her head (Spencer could swear she saw tears struggling to be released from her almond eyes) and walked away.

"She's obviously not happy with Paige." Hanna added, sending Spencer a suggestive glance. "I mean, how could she be, when she's head over heels with Brains?" The blonde nudged the skinny brunette's arm. Spencer almost lost balance and dropped her heavy books, not sure if because of the little push or Hanna's revelation.

"She's what over what with whom?!" She exclaimed, her voice strangely high-pitching as she placed half of her belongings in her own locker and the other half in her handbag. Hanna shook her head.

"She's in love with you, idiot." She said as she face-palmed, tired of waiting for her friend's obliviousness to disappear. "And it seems calling you 'Brains' was a mistake, you don't have a single functional neuron when it comes to Emily." Spencer leaned her back against the metallic surface behind her and looked at Aria, her face pale.

"Is that true?"

The petite artist nodded. Spencer led both hands to her temples.

"She feels the same…"

A relieved laugh escaped her. Hanna and Aria interchanged wondering looks.

"Spence…? Are you implying that you're in love with her too?" Aria asked hopefully.

"Yes, isn't it obvious?"

"Oh, my God, you and Emily are the biggest dorks alive." Hanna declared incandescently.

"Indeed we are." The intelligent athlete agreed in an unrestrained speed as she started to walk away from them. "I'm gonna look for her."

She paced quickly through the hallway, her ears catching only a 'finally, the universe can rest again' from Aria before her mind faded into what she would say to the endearing girl that had turned her world upside down.

* * *

Misfortune turned finding Emily into an extremely difficult quest, Spencer concluded, after having searched through practically the whole school building during every free period she obtained.

"Maybe she left, Spence." Aria suggested as the trio walked through the hallways after lunch. "She seemed really disturbed earlier, you know." Spencer crossed her arms on her chest; hurt was flooding from her eyes.

"It's my entire fault." She stated. - Her mood far from ebullient. "If I had talked to her right away this wouldn't be happening."

"Don't blame yourself. 'A' made you both into emotional wrecks, if it weren't for the massive confusion he/she/it created you guys would have worked everything out by now." The raven-haired aspirant writer opposed. Hanna tapped Spencer's back gently.

"Let's just hope she doesn't do anything stupid."

* * *

The day went by and the time arrived for Emily and Paige's date. They had agreed to meet at The Brew –after Emily's shift- and proceed to the town's movie theater. Emily, needless to say, was trying to pretend she was actually looking forward to it as she accomplished her duties in her work.

She wasn't.

She would rather be at home alone.

Or with Spencer.

Definitely with Spencer.

The thought made a wave of self-hatred hit her gut. She was misleading Paige in a way she had thought only Alison was capable of.

No.

She was doing worse.

She was feigning the return of feelings. Alison had never trespassed the line of romantic innuendos and unstoppable teasing.

The desperation had been such earlier at school that she had fled without a warning.

She couldn't even face her problem directly, so she had kept her hideous charade going.

And people called her 'the nice one'.

Her inner reflections were interrupted by a pair of hands that covered her vision.

"Guess who?" The ecstatic voice echoed next to her ear. It caused no reaction, unlike the voice she desperately needed to hear would. She couldn't stop a self-depreciating sigh from leaving her mouth. Paige dropped her arms. "Is everything alright?" Emily turned around, facing her preoccupied companion.

"Not really." She said hesitantly. Paige arched an eyebrow and reached for her hand, grasping it carefully and running her thumb through the skin that covered the back of Emily's hand. – Once more, her body gave no reaction.

"Do you wanna do this some other time?" The strong-looking brunette pierced her with her eyes, undoubtedly examining her emotional state with caution. Emily gulped. She wouldn't be able to maintain her fake scenario for much longer. The merciful thing to do was to be honest. She owed Paige that.

"I…don't think we should do this." She said, avoiding looking away, despite how much she wanted to. Paige, sensing the uncertainty that emanated from the swimmer, lost grip of her hand and recoiled her arm. "I can't do this."

"Oh."

An uncomfortable silence took over, making it seem, for them, that they were the only living beings in the coffee shop. Paige stuck her hands in her jeans' pocket and stared down for a moment. Emily wondered what she was thinking. Probably hateful words to scream at her. She, of course, completely deserved them.

"It's Spencer, isn't it?" The question made Emily almost stumble over a nearby table.

"What?"

"I'm not blind, Em." Paige stated; her voice now crystalline. "I've seen the way you look at her. But I kept on fooling myself that I had a chance with you anyway. A girl can dream, right?" In that second, Emily astonishingly realized that her charade hadn't been well put on at all. Paige had clearly seen it coming. "Although I really shouldn't have held you down like this when you're obviously crazy for her. I'm sorry." Emily shook her head.

"No, I'm the one who's sorry, Paige." She breathed in deeply. "I'm the one who tried to play games." Paige grabbed her shoulder reassuringly.

"It's okay. I know you meant no harm." She offered her a smile. "Friends?" Emily smiled back.

"Sure."

* * *

Spencer had just parked her Mercedes a few feet away from The Brew's entrance and was now rushing through the sidewalk. She had to make it before closing time. Emily's escapade from school could be an indicator that she was probably not there –especially if Paige had got to her first. She expected fervently that it would not be the case.

To her relief, there she was, behind the counter, organizing a set of empty cups. A million thoughts exploded in her mind as she approached her.

"Weren't you supposed to be on a date?" Spencer asked, immediately finding it dumb that she had started the conversation with such topic. Emily looked up and, contradicting the attitude she had maintained towards her during the last couple of days, smirked.

"I _was_…not anymore." She said casually as she walked away from the counter to stand next to the studious girl. "I broke it off with Paige."

"You did?" Spencer questioned, feeling immense hope cascading on her.

"Yeah." The reply was unusually calm. "It just didn't feel right. She totally picked on that I didn't actually want to be with her, by the way."

"Before you go on, Em, there's something I need to say." Spencer spoke nervously. "That night, when you received A's text, I had broken up with Toby. I wanted to tell you as quickly as I could, but my _beloved_ family messed that up terribly. Then the opportunity was set for 'A' to screw us over. I tried to say something the next day, but-"

"I was a total bitch." Emily interrupted; her eyes wide as she comprehended the true nature of what had happened. "You thought I had ditched you for Paige after I had insisted that you had to make a decision between Toby and I. That explains the outburst you had here. I'm so, _so _sorry, Spence."

"That doesn't justify the way I acted, though." Spencer stated ashamedly. "Listen…I hate fighting with you. It makes me feel tremendously lost. Can we… put that behind?"

"I hate fighting with you too. It kills me." Emily replied breathlessly. "So, yeah…we can."

The reconciliation inevitably took a load off the girls' chest. Spencer now had her usual Hastings crooked smirk planted on her face, to which Emily laughed rather timidly in response.

"So…what happens from now on?" Spencer inquired, exalted. Emily bravely stepped closer and cupped her cheeks with her hands while sending her a radiant smile.

"I'm going to kiss you now, is that okay?" She purred.

"Absolutely."

A second later, their lips were joined in what could be called a magical embrace. All the longing that they had accumulated for one another was transmitted through that kiss. Spencer didn't take long to perceive, as she led her hands to the other girl's shoulders and caressed them, that her true life elixir wasn't coffee and the sour taste it left in her mouth. Her life elixir was the sweet taste of Emily's lips. Her life elixir was Emily.

That's why, as they finally parted, the question that was itching in her head escaped her with no hint of hesitation.

"Does this mean you're my girlfriend?"

Emily bit her lip. Her cheeks were red. Her almond brown eyes emitted a newly regained tranquility.

"Only if you want to be mine." She stated, trying not to let any sort of insecurity develop within her. Spencer pressed another kiss on the swimmer's lips, then softly pecked her cheek before whispering soothingly in her ear.

"It's all I want."

* * *

Now at the Fields residence, Spencer was lying on her back on Emily's bed, elatedly looking at the ceiling. Emily was lying on her stomach next to her, nearly drifting off to sleep. The room's environment was currently really quiescent. They were at peace. They were together. It was everything they needed.

A few minutes later, after rubbing her eyes in order to stay awake, Emily decided to bring up the one thing that had stuck in her mind that was somehow keeping a strain of hesitancy regarding their relationship inside of her.

"Um…I'm not sure if I'm being invasive…but what are you?" She asked as she plopped on her elbows so she could stare at the studious girl. Curiosity flashed through Spencer's face for a split second, then the way her eyes widened revealed that she had realized what Emily meant. The swimmer laughed internally, thinking that if people could blush rainbows, Spencer would definitely have all seven colors on her face at that moment.

"Well…" Spencer began, pausing briefly to clear her throat. "You may call me an enchanting bisexual." Emily nodded, smiling understandingly.

"And when did you find out you were an enchanting bisexual?" She asked innocently, tilting her head to the side.

"I was 15 and I had this 19-year-old biology tutor. Lexie. She was one of Melissa's friends." Spencer answered care-freely. Emily's brow furrowed, showing that she was completely puzzled.

"You had a tutor? How come?" She questioned. "I thought you sailed through classes without a problem, as always."

"I didn't _actually_ need a tutor." The older girl stated evocatively, letting out a low chuckle. "However, I requested her to help me, declaring that I'd been having problems with the memorization of the human anatomy, while truthfully I just found her so intriguing that I felt the need to constantly have her around. I told my dad that I wanted to do anything I could to improve my knowledge and my work on my projects and he bought it." Emily shifted, sitting up near the other brunette's legs and staring down into her eyes as she listened patiently. "That is, until the day he caught us making out on our couch." The astonished expression that painted Emily's features caused Spencer to send her a timid, yet nostalgic-looking smile that made her perceive that the story she was being told about did not end happily.

"What happened?" She wondered whisperingly. A glimpse of disturbance appeared in Spencer's hazel orbs.

"He completely freaked out and threatened to get her arrested for corrupting a minor." She said, her timbre lowering aversively. "Although that wasn't the real problem for him, I came to discover after she left. He screamed at me that I was, en quote, 'forbidden to disgrace the family' with my 'repulsive and utterly wrong urges'." Emily stiffened. She would never have thought that Spencer had gone through such a thing. The young genius quickly noticed the jock's change of energy and scoffed at the reminiscence of her father's homophobic attitude. "You would think he wouldn't care, right? That he would make me join some LGBT organization to increase my curriculum. But, no, he totally refused to even consider that I wasn't straight. And, since I was still struggling with those feelings, I chose to lie to him and tell him it was a mistake."

"What about the girl?"

"Oh, that's _the best_ part…" Spencer exclaimed sarcastically, her hands joining on her lap as she sat up and tapped the bed with them with each word. "He told Melissa what had happened –it was her friend 'messing around' with me, after all- and she sided with him. Turns out sister dearest is as much as a bigot. She terminated the friendship and made sure I never saw Lexie again. Which kind of devastated me; I was starting to develop a huge liking for her. But what's my happiness compared to the Hastings' flawless reputation?" She shrugged, trying to disguise the sting that the memory had brought her. Emily placed a hand on her knee and gave it a light squeeze, wishing to transmit comfort to her.

"Tell me more about her?" She requested, involuntarily sending her doe-like eyes. "Lexie, I mean." Spencer glanced up momentarily as if she were rescuing long abandoned images from the depths of her mind.

"She was…incredible, really." She stated sublimely. "She was tall; had long, wavy black hair and green eyes. Also, a very strong personality despite her shy manners."

"By hearing that, I take it that you have a type." Emily suggested, half-smirking.

"If you consider 'dark-haired and shy with a strong personality' a type, then yes." Spencer agreed; a discrete laugh escaped her mouth as she reached for Emily's hair and gently ran her hand through it, stopping on her scalp to slowly massage it with her fingers. Emily couldn't help but to close her eyes and hum in satisfaction at the touch. Endeared by that, Spencer slid her from on the bed to get closer and tenderly pressed her lips against the swimmer's. Another satisfied hum emitted from Emily as she returned the kiss. It didn't last long, however, because there were still some things about the past that Spencer wished to tell her girlfriend. So she parted from her and flashed her a heart-melting smile before continuing. "It might surprise you, though, that there was one time that I drifted away from my type's consistency."

"Spencer Hastings drifting from consistency… who could possibly have had the power to cause that?" The other brunette asked, seriously curious.

"Who else than the one who had –and still has, even after her death- an inexplicable power over all of us?" Spencer used the ostentatious question as her reply and Emily's jaw dropped in abundant shock.

"_Alison?!_" She didn't mean to sound as alarmed as she was, but couldn't avoid it. Spencer nodded, deep down hoping that this new information wouldn't have a negative outcome. "You and _Alison?!"_

"Actually, it was more Alison playing games with me than she and I having a fling." The young athlete scoffed for the second time in that night. "She even kissed me once, during one of our sleepovers, and the next day she feigned it had never happened."

"So you say she was leading on the both of us at the same time?" Emily questioned, immensely startled for not having noticed half of the things that went on with the group back in the days. And, mainly, for not having known that side of Spencer's life until that visit.

"We were her little decoys, as she never stopped bragging about with me." She moved her hand to Emily's arm and rubbed it soothingly. "Yet it didn't affect me as much as it affected you. I could see in the way you looked at her that your feelings were transcendently stronger. You loved her, whereas I desired her."

"You…_knew_ how I felt about Alison?"

"Hence my constant fights with her. I couldn't care less for what she did to me, but the torture she put _you_ through was infuriating." She let out a past-depreciating sigh. "I certainly wish she hadn't blinded me from who was really worth it, especially not during all of the Ian drama, or I would have gone to you long ago. I mean, I always thought you were gorgeous, but everything that was happening then stopped me from noticing how magnetically lovely you are." Before she could speak any further, a pair of slender arms was thrown around her waist and Emily's head was buried on her shoulder.

"You're amazing and I love you." The murmured sentence sent an electric impulse though Spencer's spine and she gasped for breath as she reciprocated the embrace.

"I love you too, Em." She replied, flustered, with a sincere smile spread on her face and feeling that her heart was about to tear through her ribcage. Emily lifted her head and kissed her firmly, nonchalantly slipping her tongue in between Spencer's lips; a low moan escaped the older girl as she allowed her actions and she pulled anxiously at the back of Emily's hair as their tongues met, making her stir with anticipated pleasure. A couple of minutes into their make-out session, Emily placed her hands underneath Spencer's shirt, exploring her abdomen's skin with her fingers. Spencer groaned instinctively, not bearing the burning sensation that it caused in her stomach.

Their fervent interaction was unable to develop, much to their frustration, due to the sound of someone clearing their throat that reached their ears, making them jump in surprise.

"Dinner's ready, Emily." Pam Fields was standing at her daughter's doorstep. Her expression didn't show any sort of anger or grimace, to Emily's confusion. Her mother no longer had issues with Emily's preference for girls, but she never imagined she would react so lightly after catching her in a situation like that. She almost seemed…_amused._ "Are you going to join us, Spencer?" The studious girl untangled herself from the other brunette, extremely embarrassed.

"Uh…no, thanks, Mrs. Fields, I have to be home soon." She answered, her voice fading at the end of the phrase. Pam nodded comprehensively. Spencer stood from the bed, rearranging her messed up clothes and wishing that a hole could open up on the floor and suck her in to spare her.

"Drive safely, then, tell your parents I said 'hi'" Pam said calmly.

"Thanks, I will." Spencer spoke timidly before walking towards the door. She turned to Emily, who was still frozen on her spot, and smirked. "Bye, Em."

"Bye, Spence." The swimmer replied, her infamous enlightening smile appearing on her face. With that, Spencer left. Pam waited until her steps could no longer be heard in the stairs to look at her daughter with what seemed to be newfound approval mixed with radiant entertainment.

"So…Spencer Hastings, huh?"

* * *

**So, this chapter had a lot of fluff, which I was actually very pleased about. It's nice to have a break from all the conflict, don't you think?**

**Just to let you know, though, this fic won't be ending soon. There's still a lot to come, so be prepared.**

**Thanks for reading!**

**~angstylullaby**


	9. She's just like a maze

**Here's chapter nine. I wasn't quite sure of what to do with it, then I got inspiration from a song (as always). I think it turned out fine, haha. Enjoy!**

* * *

**Chapter nine: She's just like a maze**

Rosewood High's hallways were, as they always had been, sparklingly busy the following morning. Aria and Hanna had just finished grabbing everything they would need for their first class and, since they still had a few minutes before it started, they remained near Aria's locker, dwelled in anxious conversation. Neither Spencer nor Emily had been seen by them, so they took advantage of their absence to discuss the duo's fate.

"I really do hope Spencer has found Em last night, I'm sick of Paige being in their way." Aria sighed as she moved a strand of her dark hair from her face. "I really can't think of two people who are more perfect for each other."

"Yeah, they would make such a boss couple." Hanna agreed, smiling widely. "The school would crumble down from all the unstoppable hotness." She offered the petite girl a wink and laughed. Aria rolled her eyes, but she was unable to hide the small smirk that appeared on her face as she did so. Just as she was about to reply with the sassiest comment she could think of, her eyes caught sight of something at the beginning of the corridor. She automatically poked the blonde's arm and motioned her head towards the source of her delighted surprise.

"We'd better watch out, the ceiling is about to burry us."

Walking in their direction, with linked arms and effervescent smiles, were Emily and Spencer. The desolated energy that had been stuck on them and that had proved to be unpleasantly contagious to the rest of the liars during the previous couple of days was long gone. They stopped next to their friends, heads up in a cheerful, confident posture. The squeak that emitted from Hanna as she jumped to hug them both echoed soundly through the walls.

"Yay, finally!" The 'it' girl exclaimed happily before giving the two slim girls a bone-crushing squeeze. Aria couldn't stop a loud chuckle to leave her mouth while she watched, internally embarrassed for them.

"Han, as much as we love your _mellifluous_ fangirl skills, we do actually need oxygen." Spencer warned, placing a hand on the bubbly girl's arm that was around her and moving it away. Emily gave Hanna's shoulder a gentle push and sent her one of her eye-catching grins.

"Sorry." The blonde murmured as she stepped back, her cheeks turning into a deep shade of red. "It's just that…this is so awesome!" The two tall brunettes laughed and interchanged tender glances. Emily leaned closer to Spencer's side and let out a joyful sigh.

"Come on, if you're gonna be lethally cute, at least tell us about last night." Aria requested, her green eyes brightening.

"Yeah, we want details!" Hanna yelped, almost bouncing in excitement.

However, the resonant sound of the bell ringing ruined the possibility of their wish to be fulfilled.

"My bad, guys, I have to go to chemistry." Emily said, raising her arms in a worry-free manner. Truthfully thinking, the swimmer wanted to tell Spencer about the talk she'd had with her mother after she'd left before sharing more information regarding their freshly started relationship with their friends.

"I'll walk you." Spencer quickly offered.

"That's really sweet of you." Emily replied as she accepted the offer by grabbing the young genius' hand and intertwining their fingers.

"I'm very serious about my girlfriend duties." The older brunette purred, smirking. Another enthusiastic squeak escaped Hanna, obviously due to the word 'girlfriend'. Emily giggled, blushing.

"Shall we go, then, _girlfriend_?"

"Do you guys want me _dead?!_" Hanna's voice echoed behind them.

* * *

They were at a reasonable proximity of the chemistry lab when Spencer suddenly stopped, turning to her girlfriend with newly discovered concern spread on her features. Emily stared at her wonderingly, eyebrows arched.

"Was your mom too mad last night?" The intelligent athlete inquired nervously. "Am I permanently banned from your house?" Emily shook her head. She now fully understood the image her mother had portrayed for herself back when she acted harshly due to her refusal to be accepting of her sexual orientation. Considering the enormous progress the strong-minded military wife had made so far, Emily didn't wish for that image to exist forever.

"Don't be silly, Spence, she adores you. You're Ms. Perfect, remember?" She reasoned while grabbing the other girl's other arm with her free hand and rubbing it carefully in order to calm her. Spencer let out a relieved breath.

"She's okay with us being together, then?" Her voice was lower than usual; it verged to a whisper.

"Oh, she's ecstatic about it." Emily declared amusedly. "Yesterday she couldn't stop talking about what a catch you are. I honestly almost asked her if I should be afraid of her stealing you from me." The comment made Spencer chuckle exaltedly.

"Tell your mother she'll have to live with her unrequited feelings, 'cause there's not a slight chance of that happening." She said.

"I know, dork." Emily mocked, pulling her closer. She brushed her lips on the pale skin of Spencer's cheek and moved slowly to where her jaw line met her neck, earning a shiver from her.

"You're gonna be late for class." The studious girl gasped. Emily smirked devilishly.

"Maybe I don't care." She whispered as seductively as she could.

"You might not, but I do." Spencer protested firmly, releasing her hand and grabbing her shoulders. Emily raised her head, pouting. "That's not gonna work." The young genius stared directly in her eyes for a moment. A flash of hesitance appeared briefly on her features –which, needless to say, made Emily's stomach twirl in confusion- and she glanced around before placing a soft kiss against her girlfriend's lips. "Now go."

"Wait, Spence, what was that ab-"

"Go." Spencer cut her off. Her voice had become anxious, nearly desperate. That change of attitude didn't match the circumstances. It scared Emily that there probably was something that the older girl wasn't telling her. "I'll see you later, Em, okay?"

Deciding that it wouldn't help if she pushed the subject, the Filipino girl nodded in defeat. She grabbed Spencer's arm and gave it one last reassuring squeeze before entering the lab.

Spencer allowed herself to lean against the wall, hoping that the concrete would be able to support the weight of the rollercoaster of emotions that had unexpectedly hit her. She had been careless about her and Emily's public display of affection little time before. She really thought she didn't mind whatever people could think. But when Emily got _too_ close something inside of her made a jolt of fear shake her as if she had been struck by lightning.

She didn't quite know how to explain it yet, but she knew that she needed to solve it immediately. Otherwise it could jeopardize the felicity she had so intensely longed for.

* * *

With no doubt, Emily spent the entire chemistry class drowning in her thoughts. Spencer's weird reactions to her nonchalant advances had startled her. The studious girl had been simply fine with their interaction earlier, when they were with Aria and Hanna. They had even walked hand-in-hand through the school without a glimpse of concern. It had seemed that Spencer didn't oppose to being public with her, but the sudden shift brought doubts to her mind. Something had triggered that. Something more complex than she imagined, possibly. And she would definitely try to talk it through with her.

But what if Spencer decided to keep their relationship uncovered from that moment on? She was sure that she didn't want to go back in the closet. That was an opinion of hers that was unlikely to change. Did that mean she could lose the girl she loved after everything they had been through to get together? After such a small time of blissful reconciliation? Would she let that happen?

Was she being selfish?

Perhaps she was over thinking too much.

The sound of glass breaking and a distraught 'hey, watch it!' brought her back to reality. She had accidentally dropped the test tube she had been holding on the desk due to her massive distraction. A metallic smell invaded her nose and she looked down. It appeared that she had unconsciously tried to keep the object from falling and it had ended up shattering against her left hand. Thin drops of blood were running down her skin and onto her notebook.

"Crap." She hissed, only then feeling a sting of pain. The uneasy-looking redhead that sat beside her looked at her wounds with wide eyes and his face paled. It seemed the boy could get sick at any second. Emily internally wished Toby hadn't quit school. He was way more effective as her lab partner and wouldn't have hesitated to give her a hand.

"Do you need to go to the nursery, Ms. Fields?" The teacher called. Emily, clearly upset, suppressed a 'no, I'd prefer to bleed to death' from escaping her. It would have been unusually sarcastic and it would have come around as plainly rude. The quick response from her brain, however, was a proof that those little Spencer things had started to rub off on her. – After all those years of friendship followed by romance, it wasn't really a surprise. "Ms. Fields…?"

"Uh…yeah. I'm just gonna…" She stood up and motioned her injure-free hand to the door. "Excuse me." With that, she walked out of the classroom without any further ceremony.

* * *

It instantly caused remorse to strike Spencer when Emily didn't show up during break. The brown-haired genius paced through the outside area of the cafeteria incessantly, assuming that her unmeasured actions towards her girlfriend had made her mad or hurt. Or worse…doubtful.

"I scared her off." She whimpered towards her friends, who were sat on one of the benches that were placed against the outside walls; her arms were crossed and her brow was furrowing with such intensity that it seemed her forehead was about to crack open. "She must think I want to keep us closeted. I don't want that. What the hell is wrong with me?" Aria grabbed her forearm, unhesitant, making her stop.

"Spence, you're freaking out over something that's actually simple." She stated calmly. "Tell her that. Period." Spencer stared at the small girl, not aware of how she felt about her obvious solution. "Unless…there's something else that's making you afraid?" Hearing that question, Spencer sat down next to her. Hanna directed her gaze at her from Aria's other side, asking her the same without words.

"I…think there's something." The young athlete began. "I've already talked partially about it with her, but I didn't imagine it would get me that insecure now."

"What is it?" Hanna inquired. Both she and Aria fixated their eyes on Spencer, emanating preoccupation. Said girl cleared her throat and closed her eyes as the painful memories that she wanted to keep underground returned once more to her head.

"My dad."

Ahead of any sort of reaction that Aria and Hanna could have was Emily's arrival to where they were. The trio turned their attention to the swimmer, gasping as they saw her bandaged hand.

"Em!" Hanna exclaimed. Spencer stood up rapidly and delicately took Emily's harmed hand in hers.

"What happened?" There they were. The puppy dog eyes. They made Emily's insides melt and her breath fade.

"I had a clumsy moment with a test tube. Because of it I had to be at the nursery 'til now" She explained restlessly as their eyes met. "It's stupid, I know. I guess I wasn't really in the mood for chemistry today." If it was even possible, Spencer's puppy dog eyes got even bigger due to that statement. Noticing that, Emily instantly reached for her cheek with her good hand and ran it though it. "No, no! I didn't mean it like that! It's not your fault, Spence."

"Moreover, I want to apologize for earlier." Spencer replied, her uncertainty yet not leaving her. "I shouldn't have acted like that."

"Spence…"

"Can I take you out tonight?" The question was a bit rushed, but simultaneously eager. "So we can talk about it? It'll be okay if you don't want to, but-"

"I want to." Emily answered lightheartedly. "I'm not mad at you, I mean it." A smile appeared on Spencer's face, bringing contentment to the other brunette, who moved her hand from her girlfriend's cheek to her belt loop and pulled her into her, kissing her longingly. This time, Spencer used all of her will to ignore her inner disquietude and let herself reciprocate, grabbing the other girl's hair and unhurriedly running her fingers through it.

"Alright, I know you're totally adorable and everything, but get a room." Hanna spoke flatly.

* * *

Night time arrived and Emily found herself expectantly staring at her reflection on the mirror. She had put on a dark-gray T-Shirt, a pair of dark blue skinny jeans and a black vest; all of that matching a pair of black combat boots. However, she was unsure if that was the right choice for the evening. Spencer was a very preppy girl, after all, and she wished to impress her, in spite of the knowledge that the young genius would absolutely appreciate anything she wore. She moved her hair slightly with her not bandaged hand, so it was cascading loosely on her shoulders and tilted her head to the side, searching for self-approval.

"You look great, honey." A voice from a few feet away reached her ears. Emily turned around instinctively. Pam was standing a few steps into her daughter's room, caringly observing her.

"You really think so?" The young swimmer asked. She chewed on her bottom lip as she waited for a reply.

"Yeah. I'm sure Spencer will love it." Pam answered. The incentive was enough to make Emily smile with newly retrieved confidence. The sound of a car's engine echoed from the house's entrance, telling them that someone had arrived.

"Speaking of which…" Emily spoke glowingly. Pam winked at her.

"Go with your girl." She said serenely. Emily approached her and gave her a brief hug before hurrying to the first floor. "…But be back by eleven!"

Chuckling at Pam's unavoidable maternal ways, Emily opened the front door. Spencer's Mercedes would have been the first thing to catch her sight if it weren't for said girl, who was standing against its surface. Spencer was wearing a black tank top, a ¾ sleeve white cardigan, a pair of light blue skinny jeans and brown velvet boots; her hair was also loose on her shoulders. As she noticed Emily, a wide grin painted her features. She rose from the car and approached her, giving her a light peck on the lips before charmingly offering her a hand.

"Is my lady ready to go?"

Emily grabbed it and giggled.

"Yes, ma'am."

Spencer led her towards the passenger side of the car and opened the door for her. Emily sent her a thankful look as she closed it and moved to the driver's seat. After they were both settled, windows opened the slightest bit and seatbelts on, the studious girl turned on the engine and they left for their date.

* * *

Emily had been surprised with one of the coziest Italian places she had ever been to. It was small, but comfortable. The music was soothing and the delighting smell that lingered on the air turned it into the most pleasant atmosphere. They were sat at one of the tables by a large window and Spencer had the most sincere smile on her face.

"I'm glad we're here."

"Me too." Emily said enchantingly. The older girl glanced at her left hand.

"How's that feeling?" She asked, cautiously placing her fingers over the bandage and eyeing it with curiosity.

"It's better now." The Filipino girl answered. "It wasn't really that bad, but at first sight it seemed terrible. My lab partner is kinda sensible with these things, he almost fainted."

"Seriously?" Spencer's eyes lit up in hilarity.

"Yeah. Poor thing." They both laughed care-freely. One of the waiters approached their table and they proceeded to order.

After they ate their food and paid the bill, Spencer suggested a walk in the park. Emily obliged, feeling particularly thrilled and Spencer drove them there enthusiastically. They were now walking in a peaceful silence, Spencer's left hand joined to Emily's right one. There were only a few people around –about two couples, who probably had stopped by after dinner as well, and some loners that probably wanted to enjoy a quiescent moment after a hard day of work- but they were at a fair distance.

A few slowly lasting minutes went by until Spencer finally chose to bring up the worries that had been consuming her since that morning.

"Uh…that thing I wanted to talk about…" She began, feeling unusually unsteady. Emily quickly picked up on that and gave her hand a squeeze, trying to encourage her.

"Yes…?"

"Well, I wanted to explain why I was such a confusing airhead before." She stated, turning her head to look at the other brunette. "The truth is: I'm scared. But not for the reason you might think. I don't care if people at school know; their opinion doesn't mean anything. The problem is my dad." The admission made Emily freeze, consequently making Spencer stop walking as well. Spencer cupped the swimmer's cheek, gently running her fingers down to her jaw line before continuing. "Remember the story I told you?" Emily nodded. "If he finds out, I don't know what he'd do. I don't want him to take me away from you. Being without you would be the death of me."

Emily felt her breath hitch. She hadn't reminded herself of that hideous detail about Peter Hastings before and had thought the worse. Thankfully she had agreed to that date, otherwise she would still be struggling against doubt. There was no strain of that now. Spencer undeniably loved her. And she undeniably loved her as well.

"I'm not gonna let that happen." She declared; her voice firm as she locked gazes with the older girl. Spencer noticeably was trying to hold back her tears as she nodded in response before pulling her into a life-seeking kiss. A couple of minutes later, Emily parted from her and pressed their foreheads together.

"I don't wanna hide." Spencer spoke breathlessly. "And I'm not going to. We can indeed be a couple all the time. Gladly, in this case, my parents are very absent." She let out a nervous chuckle. "I know I'll have to tell them eventually and be prepared for all the shit my dad's gonna throw at me, but not right now, okay?"

The meaning of that was not unknown to Emily. They would act freely like a couple at school. Around their friends. They would go on dates. However, as soon as Spencer's parents asked her about it there would be denial. Indignation at their assumptions, even. It was undoubtedly harsh. Had it been anyone else Emily would have refused to do it. But it was Spencer. Her person. Her soul mate. The fog was necessary before there could be sunlight. So she lifted her head and placed a soft kiss on her girlfriend's forehead. From then on she would have to be as protective of Spencer as Spencer was of her.

"I understand."

* * *

**IMPORTANT: I'll most likely be updating this fic weekly from now on, because I'm gonna start college on Tuesday. Please, don't give up on this story, though, I am determined to write it 'til the end!**

**Keep reading/reviewing!**

**~angstylullaby**


	10. Wasteland

**Sorry for the late update, this took me more time than I thought it would. The past days were crazy, really. I hope you enjoy this chapter!**

* * *

**Chapter ten: Wasteland**

Three weeks went by surprisingly fast. Spencer was as happy as she could ever be. No. Not happy. She was _ecstatic. _Things were going perfectly fine at school. Her balance regarding her studies had been recovered. Her group of friends was no longer under risk of shattering due to one of its halves. –She knew they had to maintain their carefulness when it came to 'A' and whatever evil-moved project they were probably constructing while they made no manifestation, but she didn't want her worries to wreck her good emotional state.

Most importantly, she had Emily by her side. She had love.

She would normally refuse to admit it; however, she knew one thing: that deep connection to another human being brought her stability. Underneath her tough, methodical exterior hid a hopeless romantic.

Or, as Hanna wouldn't cease to point out, her 'inner chick flick girl'.

"Would you stop saying that every time I walk Emily to a different class?" She complained to the blonde as they directed themselves through the hallways. "Or every time I see her, whatsoever?"

"It's not my fault that she makes you act like an enamored Disney princess." Hanna argued. Spencer stopped walking and sent her the most puzzled look. "What? Does me calling you a Disney princess bother you?"

"Actually, I'm impressed that you've used the term 'enamored.'" Spencer declared mockingly.

"Well, your vocabulary's contagious. Like the flu, only more annoying." The 'it' girl returned the mocking, wrinkling her nose in feigned distaste. Spencer was about to respond with the most sarcastic sentence she could elaborate when she noticed that Noel Kahn was watching them from a few feet away. In reality, after analyzing him more correctly, she perceived he was, in fact, watching _her._ There was a contempt-filled air to his posture, mixed with a hint of bad-intentioned merriment that informed her that the smoothness that had composed the previous days would soon depart.

"Han." She called for her friend's attention alarmingly. "I think Noel's trying to eye-murder me."

Hanna turned her glance to the arrogant boy, instantly making a disturbed face as his mouth twisted in a trouble-seeking crook.

"Unless you want an autograph, that endless staring is totally creepy!" She exclaimed unashamedly. Noel approached the two young women in a slow, animalistic pace. Like a cat ambushing its prey.

"Spencer Hastings." He called indiscreetly. "Weird not seeing you with your _better half._"

"What do you want, Noel?" Spencer asked impatiently, anticipating an uncomfortable encounter. The repulsive-sounding way he had said 'better half' implied that he was up to no good.

"Rosewood's model student, _rich daddy_'s perfect little girl…dating _another girl_." He leaned closer as the intentionally upsetting sentence left his mouth. "Surprising; to say the least."

"Your point being…?" Spencer inquired bitterly. The boy's attitude was starting to annoy her in an unpleasantly bigger level than it normally did.

"I would never have guessed you were one of them _lesbians._" Noel stated cockily, tilting his head to the side and sending the studious girl his infamous superiority-filled grin. His phrase's last word emphasized as if it had brought a bad taste to his tongue. Hanna stepped forward with clenched fists.

"She's bi, jackass." The infuriated growl had the exact opposite effect of the one the blonde had hoped. The dark haired boy's grin grew wider as he accommodated his backpack over his shoulder. He then shrugged while letting out a careless scoff.

"Smarter than Fields, then." He said, winking at Spencer, whose face twisted in disgust. "It's such _a waste_ that you're together, though, you're both too hot for that crap." He shook his head in disappointment. That was the breaking point for Spencer. She grabbed his shirt's collar and yanked him forward with all the strength that she had in her thin, yet muscular body, sending him her most threatening glare.

"Listen, you pretentious little bast-"

"What's going on there?!" A startled voice echoed through the corridor. The trio looked at its direction, seeing Ella Montgomery approach them with hurried steps.

"I'm being harassed!" Noel exclaimed immediately, trying to pull his best innocent face. Spencer reluctantly let go of him. Hanna narrowed her eyes.

"No, he's not. That scumbag was bashing Spencer and she defended herself." She protested. Ella frowned, examining the teenagers for a moment.

"Noel, care to explain yourself?" She requested, piercing the boy with her eyes. Noel's face went pale.

"I was just…"

"Making snarky comments about her sexuality." Hanna spat, cutting him off quickly. "And her relationship with Emily."

A look of absolute displease painted Ella's face as she remembered the time when Emily was discriminated by Paige's father, who had thought the Filipino girl had been given privileges in the swimming team for being gay. Intolerance was something she couldn't fathom and she would simply not allow the students to act like that towards each other.

"That behavior is completely unacceptable, Noel. I advise you to keep your hatred to yourself, or I'll have to send you to the principal's office."

A scowl appeared on Noel's face. He seemed to be struggling not to argue. A sea of accusatory snarls most likely wished to float out of his mouth, but he was restrained by Ella's indignant expression.

"That…won't be necessary." He grudgingly agreed.

* * *

Among the current silent surroundings of the girls' locker room, an earsplitting banging sound could be heard as Spencer randomly kicked one of the metallic doors that guarded the school's athlete's sportive belongings. She was boiling with anger. The vein in her temple was probably pulsating menacingly – Hanna would have found it comical, for sure.

Comical, however, was explicitly not the appropriate term to define the situation.

She had been cornered like a defenseless street dog and hadn't had the capacity to properly stand up for herself as she usually did, for some reason. Her brain tended to work at a faster pace, so, naturally, she was now fraught and wondering exactly what the hell had just happened.

The answer wasn't unclear, she concluded, as a ragged breath escaped her, causing a painful sting to run though her knotted throat.

Her entire life, she had been praised for who she was. Even when her parents took a preference for her older sister. Being a Hastings implied that you were flawless, so you had to be approached as such. That's why being mistreated simply for the fact of being who she was had been such a shock.

She remembered something Toby had said to her in the past: 'I like different'. She also remembered Aria and Hanna's care (besides her own) for Emily when the swimmer was forced to come out by Det. Wilden. Unfortunately, not everyone was as supportive of what was considered uncommon.

Apparently, to some people, different was a synonym for minacious.

That caused a memory of the previous day to come back in her mind.

_Her father had stopped by the house during the afternoon to retrieve some important documents from his office. While he searched though his drawers, Spencer passed hurriedly by the door. She was supposed to meet Emily at the park for a picnic date and didn't want to betray her innate punctuality._

_"Spencer!" She heard him call, what made her immediately stop. "Where are you going?"_

_"Out…?" She offered hesitantly. It was definitely not the best reply she could give, given that she normally was a way more articulated person._

_"With whom?" He inquired, raising an eyebrow. _

_"Emily." She answered, trying her best to sound casual. He stood straighter and crossed his arms, suddenly suspicious._

_"You've been spending a lot of time with her." He pointed out. What he was trying to insinuate made a pinching feeling hit Spencer's gut._

_"She's my best friend. We're hanging out. It's no big deal." She lied. He stared at her for a moment, his expression yet not softening._

_"You should be careful around her." He warned. Spencer stayed still because she knew the reason behind his over-protectiveness. Emily was gay. This, naturally, to him, meant that his daughter was in danger of demoralization, unscrupulousness, crookedness, or whatever crap argument he could invent against her._

_"Dad, she's not some devious criminal. She's a good person." She protested. He shook his head._

_"I don't trust her." The statement brought a scowl to Spencer's face._

_"Well, I'm going anyway." She hissed, walking out angrily and leaving Peter to ignorantly wonder what he had done wrong._

There was a strong possibility that things could take a turn for the worse due to her father. She had managed to dissimulate her relationship from him and the rest of her family until then and that had made her riskily eluded. Noel Kahn's persecution earlier, nevertheless, had made her fall face first onto validity.

"Fuck!" She bawled as she delivered a second kick to the locker.

"Spencer…?" A preoccupied voice reached the studious brunette's ears. She looked up, seeing Emily, who was standing a few cautious feet from her. Spencer's brow furrowed while she imagined the possible reason her girlfriend wouldn't go near. She then glanced at the locker and noticed its surface had sunk a little due to the strength of her strike.

"Emily, I…"

"No need to explain why you went all Incredible Hulk on an inanimate object, Spence, Hanna's told me what happened with Noel." Emily announced, raising both hands in comprehension. Spencer turned her gaze to the floor and exhaled disturbingly.

"It's gonna happen again, isn't it?"

"Hey…forget about that." Emily offered her one of her eye-catching smiles as she advanced and cupped her cheek delicately. "People are stupid. They're not gonna get any less stupid if you stress about it. Just ignore them and it they'll eventually get bored and won't bother you again."

"Easy for you to say. When you dated Maya no one did that kind of thing." Spencer instantly regretted her far from thoughtful response due to the hurt that appeared in her girlfriend's almond brown eyes before she pulled her hand away. She had, in a brief second, let her anger towards the world dominate her and had forgotten how bringing up the swimmer's deceased ex had a very negative effect on her. It would always have, no matter how much time passed. Especially the way Spencer had brought the subject up. – Trying to use it as an argument. "Em…!"

"No." The other brunette's voice turned into a strangled whisper as she turned her back to her and looked down. Away from Spencer. – The young genius felt as if her insides had turned to ice at the sight. "You think I had it _easy_? Seriously, Spence? Maybe most people at school didn't say a thing. But there were times when it wasn't necessary. Their narrowed eyes spoke for them. And being home and dealing with my mother was hell, in case you don't remember."

"I know. I shouldn't have said that." Spencer pleaded. Her hands were stuck in her blazer's pockets, reflecting her shame. "I didn't mean to hurt you. Please forgive me." An awfully long silent moment settled, in which Emily continued to avoid direct eye-contact. Spencer shuffled on her feet while she examined the younger girl, waiting for her to be calm enough so she could approach her.

After a few seconds of internal debate, the intelligent brunette stepped closer and hugged her by the waist as tightly as she could, resting her chin on her shoulder and closing her eyes.

"I'm sorry for taking my tension out on you. It was really idiotic of me, especially since I had declared beforehand that I wouldn't care about other people's opinion." She murmured meaningfully. "I love you…so much."

Another couple of mute seconds followed until Emily finally permitted herself to relax into the proximity of Spencer's body.

"And I love you, grumpy nerd. Why is it so hard to stay mad at you?" She sighed. A smirk covered the young genius' features as she rocked them back and forth.

"Because you can't resist my adorable face."

"True. It's as appealing as your modesty." Emily replied in a playfully low voice while rolling her eyes in forced disapproval. Even if the other girl couldn't see her expression she knew she'd be able to sense her energy.

"Hey, sarcasm is _my_ thing, Fields." Spencer protested, sliding one of her hands under Emily's shirt to her stomach daringly and giving it a nonchalant poke.

"Clearly, I've been hanging out with you too much." The response was husky, deliciously challenging. A devilish smile crept on Emily's lips as she felt Spencer's hand travel down a few hesitating centimeters, almost under the fabric of her jeans. The thought that they were completely alone in the locker room –as they had been the day they first confessed their attraction towards one another- couldn't stop running through either of their minds.

"Are you insinuating I'm a bad influence?" As strongly as Spencer wished her question to sound purred and confident, she couldn't stop her voice from trembling the tiniest bit due to the dangerous territory that she was nearly approaching with the tips of her fingers. She felt Emily shiver as she dragged them experimentally across her lower abdomen's skin.

"You're making it really hard to think of an answer right now." Emily stated breathlessly. Spencer chuckled nervously before using her free hand to move the younger girl's hair away and placing a kiss on the back of her neck. Another expectant shiver shook the swimmer's body. "This feels like punishment. I'm sorry for calling you 'grumpy nerd', please don't torture me anymore."

"Your pleas only make it more amusing." Spencer declared, now feeling powerful due to the effect she was having on her girlfriend, as she continued to caress the naturally tan surface.

"Stop teasing, gosh." The irritated whimper escaped Emily's mouth as she grabbed Spencer's wrist, pulling her hand away, and turned around quickly on her feet. Spencer could barely acknowledge what was happening. The loud sound of her back meeting one of the locker's cold surface was the only thing she was able to register seconds before Emily started to hungrily kiss her. She only realized, as she responded to the kiss, that her need to feel Emily was as strong when said girl pressed her body closer against hers and the layers of clothing that separated them suddenly became extremely annoying obstacles.

Those obstacles had to remain where they were, however, because of the sound of footsteps that immediately pulled them back to reality.

"Spencer! Emily! Are you guys in here?" Aria's voice echoed as Emily released the other girl from her grip, panting and looking enormously frustrated. Spencer sent her an apologetic look, despite it not being her fault.

"We're here." Was the single response the studious girl gave to the approaching artist. She was excessively worked up to rationalize clearly. Aria's head appeared slowly (guardedly, it could be said) from behind the room's slightly opened door, that her tiny hands were now holding; her big green eyes landed on the couple and she half-smiled, noticing by the flush on both girls' cheeks and their heavy breathing that she had interrupted something.

"Is it all clear? Are we safe from seeing something traumatizing?" Hanna's voice was heard as her blonde waves popped up behind the petite girl; her blue eyes were hidden by Aria's raven hair.

"Shut up, we weren't doing anything." Emily objected. Hanna jumped forward to enter the room, threatening to accidentally stumble over Aria, who stepped aside rapidly. The 'it' girl scanned Spencer and Emily with the most suspicious stare she could pull of.

"Yeah, right." She mocked. "I can see your lady boners from here, it's distracting. You two need a r_eally_ cold shower…or a bed."

"Has anyone ever told you what an inconvenience you are?" Spencer asked, provoked.

"You're just mad 'cause we cockblocked you." Hanna replied defensively. 'Or, better…um…how is it called when two girls get cockblocked?"

"Hanna Marin."

"Not fair, Aria's here too."

"But _she_ hasn't made any stupid comments."

* * *

Emptiness was what currently filled the Hastings mansion. That except for Spencer, the only living being that was present there. Staying alone in the house would usually not have been a problem for the studious girl. Considering it was a Friday night and that she had finished every single school work she needed to finish, though, dullness was consuming her.

For that matter, she grabbed her phone, deciding that some time with her girlfriend was exactly what she needed.** 'Can you come over? I'm alone and bored. –S'** She typed the text eagerly and pressed 'send', letting herself fall on her bed right afterwards. A few seconds later, her phone buzzed.

**Sure! I'll be there in 10. –E**

A wide smile crept up Spencer's face as she got up and headed from her barn turned loft to the main house's living room.

As it had been promised, about ten minutes followed until Emily arrived. The Filipino girl frivolously threw her arms around Spencer's form when the other girl opened the door to receive her, earning a cherishing chuckle from her.

"Hi, beautiful." Emily whispered tenderly as she lightly squeezed Spencer's torso.

"Enthusiastic, much?" Spencer replied amusedly, closing her eyes as her cheek brushed Emily's deliciously-smelling hair.

"Can't help myself around you." Emily stated as she freed the other brunette from her grip, noticeably blushing. Spencer laughed timidly and stepped aside to allow her in before closing the door. "So…what do you wanna do?"

"I was thinking maybe we could watch some movies or something." Spencer said as she walked towards the TV.

"As long as you don't make me watch one of your Discovery Channel documentaries, then I'm up for it." Emily teased as she casually followed her. Spencer turned to look at her.

"What makes you think I'd coerce my own girlfriend into watching what she'd consider an uninteresting waste of time?" She asked, placing a hand on the left side of her chest, pretending to be a little offended by the assumption.

"The fact that I've known you forever." Emily offered, sending Spencer her characteristic captivating smile. The older girl then reached inside the DVD case and pulled out a movie, raising it in line with Emily's eyesight and waving it in her hand.

"You've obviously forgotten the fact that I've also known you forever."

"Pitch Perfect, how did you guess?" Emily nearly yelped, her eyes glinting.

"It's not much of a guess when you've made me watch it with you 50 times since it was released." Spencer stated mockingly. "I've actually got the lyrics to 'The Sign' memorized by now." Emily stuck her tongue at her.

"It's an awesome movie and you know it."

"Well, I must say the shower scene is quite entertaining." The young athlete smirked, winking at Emily, who couldn't contain a provocative snicker.

"You're such a perv."

"Says the girl who tired to have her way with me in the locker room." Spencer talked back. Emily's face turned scarlet due to that reminder and she hid it in her hands, embarrassed. Spencer grabbed a cushion from the couch and playfully threw it at her. "I'm just messing with you, silly, let's watch it already."

Presuming they would, indeed, 'watch it', was incorrect, it turned out, because halfway though the Bella's presentation at Semi-finals, Spencer got as tired as Beca was of the overly girly and repetitive routine, pulled Emily against her by the waist and pressed their lips together promptly. Emily contently responded and grabbed the sides of Spencer's face as she deepened the kiss. Before long, her hands started sliding down Spencer's neck, shoulders and –ignoring any risk-, she tentatively cupped the older girl's breasts, carefully caressing the fabric that covered them. Spencer moaned against her lips, automatically kissing her harder. Taking that as approval, Emily moved her hands to the base of Spencer's shirt and pulled at it anxiously, momentarily parting from her.

"Off."

The mumbled solicitation was quickly fulfilled as Spencer moved slightly away in order to get rid of the barrier that was the piece of clothing. The gray shirt flew to the ground as Emily grabbed the remote and turned off the movie, looking at her girlfriend suggestively.

"You stopped Pitch Perfect for me." Spencer stated rather breathlessly in a theatrical awe. Emily giggled and gently grabbed her legs, pulling her so she was lying down. Spencer stared up at her, biting her lip in expectancy, until Emily accommodated herself on top of her body, closing the distance between their lips once more. Their kisses became more urgent with each second that passed and, soon, Spencer was straddling Emily's waist as the other girl moved to her neck. Spencer moved her own hands to Emily's back, sliding them under her shirt and running her fingertips across the tan skin, trying unsuccessfully to contain a pleasure-filled groan as Emily bit at her neck in a territory-marking way.

They were so wrapped up in the sensation of each other's yearning touches that they didn't hear the front door swing open.

"Oh, my _God."_ Melissa's voice ripped though the air in a befuddled screech, striking both girls with a bullet of panic as Spencer, in a reflex, pushed Emily off of her. The swimmer stumbled slightly over the couch, but managed to keep her balance by leaning against its surface before standing up, sending their audience a horrified look. Mr. Hastings was standing next to his older daughter, his face twisted in shock. Spencer remained in her previous lying position, frozen in terror and with great difficulty to breathe. "You two…you were…"

"I can explain." Spencer said as she regained the ability to move and reached for her shirt, putting it on as fast as she could. Her voice verged to a choked whisper. She glanced at her father, whose expression turned into a sickened one. "Dad…"

"I will not allow this." He declared crossly. That was when Veronica entered the house, instantly confused by the incredibly tense scenario.

"What's going on…?" She asked.

"My sister's a _freak_, that's what's going on." Melissa spat. Veronica's face went pale at the statement. Emily, momentarily forgetting her fear, clenched her fists protectively. She took a breath, anticipating an objection, but Spencer grabbed her wrist and stood up from the couch.

"Please, listen to me." She requested apprehensively. Peter sent her a questioning glare. "This is something I can't change. I didn't choose it, okay? You have no idea of the struggle it was until I finally admitted to myself that I-I'm…bi." A shredded breath escaped her and she slid her hand from Emily's wrist to her palm, seeking for security. "I've kept it a secret, from my friends, even, until recently, because you've never made me feel comfortable about imperfection. And, to you, _this_…" She lifted her and Emily's joined hands. "Is imperfection. But you have to understand that it doesn't change my character. I'm still the same person. Only I love differently." Her family's features turned blank and a few seconds of agonizing muteness passed. "Emily and I are _in love._" Spencer looked at each one of them, blindingly searching for a change of heart. Peter squeezed his eyes afflictively.

"No." He protested bitterly. "This is completely wrong." Spencer could feel that her world, yet again, was starting to shatter. A nauseating sensation filled her stomach as tears started to drop from her eyes.

"I'm your _daughter_." She pleaded. Peter stepped closer to Melissa before replying coldly.

"I only have _one_ daughter."

"Dad…!" Spencer shouted, incredulous. "Don't do this…"

"Out of my house." He demanded. The young genius felt her knees weaken. It couldn't be true. She had to wake up from that horrendous nightmare. She had always complained to her friends about her family's indifference towards her, but this took it to another level. She had never imagined that their love was, in fact, conditional.

"No…you can't do this…"

"Leave. Both of you. Now." He death glared both she and Emily once again. Spencer looked at Veronica, who hadn't said a word about it then, or ever. It was possible she didn't share her father and sister's line of thought. Perhaps she could oppose to Peter's ultimatum and save her from her soon-to-arrive enormous melancholy.

"Mom…" The studious brunette called uneasily. "Say something."

Veronica seemed to be debating internally. Her forehead was twisted in a frown. She glanced back and forth desperately at Spencer, Peter and Melissa for a while until her silent decision was, at last, made and she lowered her head in disconcert.

"Mom…Please!" Spencer supplicated. There was no answer. "Please help me…mommy…" Spencer's voice broke and her sobs grew louder. Seeing that, Emily gripped her hand tighter and pulled at it with guarding determination.

"Let's just go, Spence." She guided the destroyed girl to the door. "Come on." The rest of the Hastings had stayed where they were, with their backs turned to them. It was an unbelievable sight to Emily. How they had simply disowned a part of them. The swimmer sent them one last immensely distraught glance before leading Spencer out of the mansion.

As they walked together to where Emily's car was –Emily now with an arm wrapped fixedly around her girlfriend's shoulder-, all that could be heard under the dark night sky was Spencer's hoarse deliberation.

"I don't have a home anymore…I don't have a home anymore…"

* * *

**All I have to say is: please don't hate me. I just can't help my amusement in torturing people with my writing.**

**Just kidding. But I would actually love to know what you think!**

**~angstylullaby**


	11. Keep me warm

**Again, I'm really sorry this took me so long; I had the worse writers block until I was able to write this one. It's kind of short, but, still, I hope you guys enjoy it.**

* * *

**Chapter eleven: Keep me warm**

Pam Fields was disorientated, to say the least, when she noticed her daughter's car stopping in front of their house at a much earlier hour than it was expected. Emily had left her a note telling her she would be at Spencer's until at least 11 pm. It was still 8:45. As she glanced out the window, her sight detecting a very disturbed Emily leading a much paler than usual Spencer through the front yard, her suspicions were confirmed that something was wrong.

The military wife walked hurriedly towards the door and opened it quickly, a second before the two young women reached it. Emily gulped as she saw her mother; her eyes begging for assistance. Spencer looked like she could faint at any moment. Pam motioned to ask, but Emily interrupted her instantly with a desperate, choked declaration.

"Her family found out."

A freezing sensation ran suddenly through Pam's body due to the information. It wasn't even needed to point out that the outcome had not been good. Emily had mentioned the Hastings' intolerance the night she and Spencer had had their first official date, after she'd come back home, and how the pair had decided to keep their relationship a secret from Spencer's parents and sister until it was safe enough to tell them. Unpredicted things constantly happened in Rosewood, however, and, judging by Spencer's face, things had got extremely –and negatively- serious.

"Bring her in and sit her down in the living room." Pam requested, placing a comforting hand on her daughter's free arm. "Try to calm her. I'll make you guys some tea."

Emily did as she was told and, as they settled on the living room's couch, she started rubbing Spencer's back carefully, -trying hard to ignore the blankness of the older girl's stare- until her state of shock began to slowly subside.

"Spence…baby…do you feel better?" Emily asked, her voice full of concern, leaning slightly closer to her girlfriend's side as she continued the soothing motions of her hand on her back. Spencer turned her gaze to her, the tear strains visible on her beautiful face; her eyes dreadfully free of shine.

"I…I don't…I don't know…" Was all that the young athlete was able to let out. It made Emily's heart sting to see her like that. Intensely vulnerable. Defenseless. It stroke her, out of the blue, that that was probably how Spencer had felt that day when she had the mental breakdown that made her flee to Maya's grave.

"It's okay…you're gonna be fine. Just breathe." Emily said weakly, moving her other hand to caress the hairs that were falling over Spencer's forehead. The studious girl closed her eyes at the touch. "Breathe." It was a difficult task. Spencer couldn't succeed to relax completely yet, so she longingly leaned her head on the crook of Emily's neck, maintaining her eyes shut and absorbing her scent. After a few minutes, Pam reappeared with a small tray containing a pair of cups.

"There you go." She said as she placed them on the small center table. Emily instantly grabbed one of the cups and offered it to Spencer, who opened her eyes and lifted her head before receiving it gratefully and taking a cautious sip of the soporiferous beverage. "Spencer…it's probably hard for you to talk about it…but what exactly happened?" The heedful question made Spencer lower her arms, the cup of tea brushing her lap, before speaking remorsefully.

"They kicked me out." She sighed, taking a few seconds in an attempt to mask her pain with wittiness, a decrepit smile appearing on her features."I am currently a vagrant." Normally, Pam would have disapproved of that type of attitude, however, she understood. It was Spencer's defense mechanism. She knew that, on the inside, the girl was falling apart, so she offered her a sympathetic stare.

"You're welcomed to stay here." She stated. Spencer shook her head.

"Thanks, Mrs. Fields, but I don't wanna be a burden." Her voice was merely a whisper. Emily pulled her even closer to herself, consolatory.

"You won't be, I promise." The swimmer murmured next to her girlfriend's ear.

"I insist, Spencer." Pam added. "At least until you figure out what to do." Spencer bit her lip, her eyes wandering down briefly, before smiling –this time genuinely- in appreciation, not being able to withhold a few grateful tears.

"Thank you."

* * *

"Do you want me to call Aria and Hanna?" Emily asked Spencer once they were in her room –sitting on her bed and changed into more comfortable clothes-, her doe-like eyes glinting with anxiousness. Pam had allowed Spencer to spend the night there, putting aside her no-girlfriends-in-the-room rule, after Emily told her that she didn't want the studious girl to be alone due to her directionless condition.

Spencer nodded, her energy too drained for her to actually speak. Emily lifted from the bed and grabbed her phone from the nightstand, respectively requesting their friends to come over in quick calls that were received with expected perplexity. While they waited for said friends' appearance, the Filipino girl grabbed some extra covers and pillows from her closet, figuring that, in order to make the most to comfort Spencer, they would all be squeezed in the room together. As she finished, she noticed that her girlfriend had lay down with her back turned to her, nearly in the middle section of the bed; the sheets over her slim body. Crushed. Lifeless, almost. Dejection immediately stroke Emily as she realized how much damage the Hastings family had done to one of their own.

"Spencer…" She called, trying to sound as soothing as it was possible, as she stepped closer. "Hey…" She touched Spencer's shoulder, that wasn't covered, lightly. "It's gonna be-"

"Don't say anything." The older girl practically begged. "Please, don't. It won't help." Emily recoiled her arm, feeling inevitably disappointed at herself. Then Spencer let out a very resonant sigh. "Can you please just…hold me?"

"Yeah…yeah, of course." Emily murmured, grabbing the covers and lifting them for a moment to settle herself on the bed next to Spencer before embracing her waist without hesitation. She buried her face on the other brunette's shoulder, feeling her breath hitch at the action, and closed her eyes after the few seconds it took them both to collect themselves.

"I don't know what I'd do without you." Spencer let out, her voice finally emanating a strain of peace. The grip on her waist intensified and she felt Emily's lips graze her shoulder's skin.

"You'll never have to know." She declared, filled with certainty. With that, the two young women drifted off to a serene slumber.

* * *

"Tell me that's not the cutest thing you've ever seen, I dare you." Hanna's voice echoed next to Aria, who was standing next to her in front of Emily's bed, unusually turned into a lower key in order not to wake the two exhausted girls that lay in their sight. Aria shook her head.

"I won't. They're too adorable." She stated in agreement. "Should we let them know we're here, though? I mean, Em _did_ ask us to come."

"And ruin this priceless scene? No way." Hanna protested, crossing her arms.

"Just snap a picture of them." Aria argued. Hanna sent her a fake look of disbelief.

"Creepy, much?"

"Hanna-ish, much?"

"_Touché."_ The blonde, defeated, grabbed her phone and took the picture, examining the screen right afterwards. "Awww, so cute." The observation was louder that she had intended, she perceived as Spencer opened her eyes groggily.

"What's cute?" She asked through an unavoidable yawn. Instead of answering, Hanna simply approached her phone's screen to the studious girl's face. "Oh…that's not creepy _at all_." Spencer joked, feigning disapproval before grinning. She was definitely feeling more composed now. "I'm glad you guys are here." She felt Emily stir –said girl's arms were still around her- and turned her look to her. The Filipino girl woke quickly, moving one arm from Spencer's form to rub the sleep off of her own eyes.

"Hey." She acknowledged the other girls' presence sleepily. Aria then sat on the bed's foot, followed by Hanna. Spencer and Emily sat up to be able to talk to them properly. "I'm sorry we didn't wait for you, we just…"

"It's okay." Aria interrupted. "It seems you two needed rest."

"Yeah…" Emily agreed as she rubbed Spencer's back, once again, caringly. "We did."

* * *

The sun rays were glowing with an intensity that didn't quite match the bearings in that restless afternoon that followed Spencer's expelling from her house. The Brew was awfully silent as the girls finished getting their usual drinks. Emily and Spencer were sat by each other, their expressions of matching disconcert, while Hanna and Aria sat opposite them; Hanna with her head resting lazily on both her arms as Aria sipped her soy_ latte_ eagerly, her sight switching incessantly from one of her friends to another in an indiscrete flash of green. None of them had enough will to have a further discussion about Spencer's current homeless status. What they needed was a moment of stillness. Something that would make them feel as a normal group of friends again, at least for a slight moment.

Of course, having that considered, the arrival of Veronica Hastings at the small coffee shop caught them completely by surprise.

"Uh… Spence…your mom's here." Aria warned apprehensively. The brown-haired genius immediately scanned the coffee house in search of her mother. Her eyes soon landed on the fierce lawyer and froze. She wasn't sure of her emotions at that moment. What was she doing there? Was she searching for her? Did she wish to put her through more humiliation?

"Try to relax. Your 'my brain is going to explode' look is too evident." The tiny artist in front of her exclaimed.

"I don't mean to be rude, Ar, but I don't really care." Spencer hissed, not to Aria particularly; it was caused by the relative's unwanted presence. That fact couldn't avoid the saddening of the other girl's features, though. She glanced down, feigning to be distracted by a silver bracelet she was wearing by casually running her fingers through it.

"I think she saw us." Hanna said gloomily, her head now lifted; her blue eyes looked tired from lack of sleep. Spencer gritted her teeth.

"Damn it."

Veronica had, indeed spotted the group after some time of hopelessly browsing through the place, and was now approaching them with determination. Emily automatically placed a hand over Spencer's and effortlessly pulled off her most protective glare.

"Can we talk?" Veronica required simply as she stopped by their table; her face unreadable.

"Have you seen a single detail in my expression that clues that I wanna talk to _you_?" Spencer exclaimed questioningly, the corners of her eyes overflowing with tears –they could no longer be maintained under control, to her disgrace; she had passed her breaking point already.

Veronica flinched at her daughter's indescribable mixture of aggressiveness and debility. It was a huge discomfort to see her like that. And the worst part was: it was her, Veronica, the one to blame. She hadn't spoken up when it was needed. She had failed to defend her child. She had allowed the hurt that her husband had provided her.

"Spencer, honey…you have every right to be angry." The lawyer declared nervously, despite her efforts to remain firm as she was accustomed to be. "But I did come here searching for you in order to apologize. I shouldn't have stayed quiet when you needed me last night. I was a coward. And those thoughts kept me from sleeping, because I've let you down. You're my daughter and I've let you down." At that second, the woman's eyes filled with tears as well. It made, along with her words, Spencer freeze. Despite of all the motives she had to be evasive, motherly tears were still a knife to the gut and were able to bring back her sensibility.

"Mom…" She called, not able to stop her voice from breaking.

"I'm sorry. I _am_." Veronica said, leading a hand to her temple, before staring directly into Spencer's eyes. "And I promise I'm going to try to get you back home as soon as possible. I'm going to talk some sense into your father." Spencer had to stay mute briefly to process what she had just heard.

"Does that mean…you're okay with it? You're okay with me being…"

"Yes. Yes, I am." Veronica replied almost instantly, cutting off Spencer's speech. "You're my child and I love you. No matter what." She paused to take a deep breath, and then smiled, both at Spencer and Emily. "And I'm sure Emily's great for you." Emily smiled back politely and squeezed Spencer's hand. "I'm just worried about where you'll stay until I figure things out at home."

"She can stay with me." Hanna interjected. Spencer turned to her, surprised.

"Really?" She asked. "Won't I be a bother?"

"Of course not." Hanna replied. "To tell you the truth, my mom and I could use some company, there's extra space in the house." The blonde was smiling widely now. "It'll be fun. Emily's stayed at my place before, remember? We had a good time."

"Well…" Emily teased sarcastically.

"Shut up, you. I know you enjoyed being my temporary wife." The 'it' girl shot back, smirking, to which Spencer let out a sonorous 'ahem' in response. "Don't worry, Ms. Jealous, I'm just messing with her."

"Anyway." Spencer exclaimed, ignoring Hanna's previous comment as realized her mother was still there. "I guess, it's decided, then. I'll stay at Hanna's."

"That's great." Veronica said, relieved. Her expression, however, saddened as she stepped backwards. "Well…I guess I'll leave you girls alone now." She started to slowly walk away.

"Mom, wait." Spencer called, standing up and rushing towards her. She pulled her into a firm hug as she reached her and buried her head on her shoulder, feeling a knot forming in her throat as Veronica hugged her back. "I forgive you."

* * *

Night arrived and Spencer had been relocated to the Marin residence, after a long explanation from Hanna to Ashley, who accepted the idea of Spencer living with them temporarily without further questioning, to the duo's relief. In Hanna's not-voiced opinion, sympathy was currently a must regarding her friend's sanity.

"Honestly speaking, Spence, I'm thrilled that you're staying here." She exclaimed, trying to bring excitement into her room as the brown-haired genius unpacked her things –which Veronica had, in her most generous intentions, picked up from the Hastings mansion after their encounter at The Brew-, rather silently. "It's gonna be like a sleepover-"

"That never ends." Spencer completed the blonde's sentence, sending her a weak smile. "I remember you said that to Emily when she was a guest here. Do you say that to _all the girls_?" Her smile intensified as the joke left her lips. Hanna let out a mockingly laugh –finding it internally calming that Spencer's sarcastic ways were returning- and winked.

"Only to the pretty ones." She responded, her voice sounding exaggeratedly seductive. Spencer, taking the moment as an advantage, grabbed the nearest pillow and threw it directly at her face. "Ouch! Rude!"

"Your gay was showing." The young athlete stated, holding in her laughter as she continued to unpack, ignoring Hanna's pretend scowl.

"Got a problem with that?"

"I have a girlfriend, in case you've forgotten."

"Whatever, Hastings." The 'it' girl teased, leading a hand to her golden locks and playing with them while glancing care-freely at the ceiling. "I'm too cool for you, anyway." Spencer shook her head in amused disapproval. Inside, however, she felt like things weren't a complete disaster, as she had previously thought. Yes, she had been thrown out of her own house, where she had gown up, but not from her _home_.

Her home, she came to realize, resided in the three girls she called her closest friends.

* * *

**What do you think? Will Spencer be able to go back to the Hastings'?**

**I've got yet more things planned for this fic, be prepared!**

**As always, thanks for reading!**


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